Living Alive in Seattle
by laenamoradadeROGUE
Summary: Mamma never told Adele and me about her past, and now with two vampires from her past living in our house... Lets just say that i want some answers. And i want to see Dad again... Future AU, narrated by one of Sookies kids, canon characters 20yrs later.
1. The man in the shiny car

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Charlaine Harris, i'm just playing around.

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Ch.1

Be curious, not fearsome. That's what my momma always says to us. And I guess, she is right. When my older sister started changing into a lioness during the full moon, I was curious. I wanted to do that too. But, she was jealous that she is not as special as me. So when puberty hit me the following year I realized I was not special in that way. The full moon is close, so my sister is in a mood. That means I have to go out and entertain myself elsewhere. Mom is out working tonight the night shift at the local Applebee's.

I take out my phone and rummage my contacts to see if I can call a friend. I remember I was surprised the night she sat us down and explained where she got the real money to pay for the nice house and our school tuition. But that is not my secret to tell.

I walk down the sidewalk with the intention of going to borrow a book or rent a movie, the next couple of days are going to be long anyways. My sister got her period today, so it was double the moodiness than for other full moons.

A shiny car, and old car but in great conditions, grabbed my attention. The man inside was gripping the steering wheel forcefully even though he was parked.

Just do it, be a man, Sookie will hear me out. I can tell her. She'll listen. Damn it, I have to explain. But, what if she does not let me in? if she slams the door in my face and still holds resentment against me? I listen until I am out of range to hear him. Interesting… I keep walking and as I hit the curb I go around the block instead. I call mamma.

"Honey, I'm at work" she whispers.

"I know, there's a man in an old pretty car parked two houses from ours making up his mind about talking to you or not. He seemed tense"

"Is he human?" she asks, I am not sure what she means by it, but answer truthfully.

"I could hear him all right" I state.

"Fine, go back home and if he does knock, let him in. But be careful"

"Yes, mamma" So I go back into the house and perch myself on a window where I can watch the nice car without being notice. I got out my laptop (yes, this came from the secret money too) and search about that kind of car until a better idea pops into my head. I run the license plate number, this one is from Louisiana (a long way from home here in Seattle) The name of the owner came up on the screen, but that does not help me much. I look down again and see the man better now that he is out of the car.

He has thick hair, brushed in a retro style (just the fact that he had hair instead of stubble of his head was retro, but he had lot of hair) and with sideburns to put Elvis to shame. He has dark eyes too. And, this was odd, even though he looked terribly pale; he had a certain glow to him. He walks with a determined face towards our front door.

I did not realize I am holding my breath in until he rings the doorbell and I exhale heavily. I know Adele has on her metal music and could not hear a thing, so I go to the door.

What if she's at work? Would her kids let me in or not? Do they even remember seeing a vampire? Or seeing me? I block his thoughts as I open the door.

"Hello, can I help you?" I ask politely. The man looks at me. I know, I have my mother's baby blue eyes, but he is looking intensely into them.

"Yes, I am looking for Sookie Stackhouse" I smile, my mother never took my father's name.

"This is her house" I reply, trying not to hear him think. This is one of her daughter's… the eldest? Or the second one? What are their names? One is Adele, after her grandmother… What is the other's name?

"I'm Judith. My mom is at work but she'll be home shortly, Would you care to come in?" I offer.

"Certainly," he says.

"Something to drink?" I offer. Dumb me, he is a vampire, all he wants is blood. "Sorr-

"No thank you" he responds at the same time. "Sorry for what?"

"Offering" am I not supposed to know he is a vampire?

"Something tells me that you have more than just your mother's eyes" he states quizzically. I do not make much of that and question him back.

"How exactly do you know my mother?" I ask a bit rudely, but he had it coming,

"Please, forgive my poor show of manners." He says, and outstretches his hand. "I'm Bill Compton." I shake it, it is as cold as it looks. The only good thing is that this name matches the name registered for the license plate I looked up, it still did not tell me a thing, though.

"You must be Sookie's second daughter" he asks, more like states. He sounds…. Melancholic? Jealous? "I was a friend of your mother's a long time ago. It's been… fifteen years since I last saw her. I remember your sister and her pregnant with you when I last saw her. She was very happy."

"Still is" I counter.

"Good" he says. "You probably have chores and studies to do so I will just wait here." He sits down and I feel dumb for not offering. I am torn between not leaving him alone her and doing my physics homework.

"I don't have much to do. Do you want to tell me a bit more about yourself? Or about my mother?

"I do not think it proper to discuss her in her absence, besides, I do not know how much you are not aware of."

"Such as?" I prompt. He does not speak, but boy did I hear him. She was my girlfriend, I was her first boyfriend, we had a lot of ups and downs. She saved my life countless times. She left me for Quinn. She was everything to me and Eric made me give her up. Finally, she chose Sam over me because she could have a family with him… I really hope she will hear me out.

He then notices that I am observing him too attentively.

Judith? He asks.

"Yes?" I answer unconsciously.

"Yes what?" he echoed. "I have not said a thing."

"But you were…." Then I remember mamma had told me to be careful. I keep quiet.

"Your mother never mentioned me?"

"Sorry, no" I smile nervously. He laughs; it sounds weird and is completely unexpected.

"She also smiled a lot when she was nervous."

"She does not"

"Oh, has she mentioned… Alcide?" I shake my head, only in passing, but my father mentioned him a lot to her. He also worried about him.

"Maybe Quinn?" I am unsure if he is testing me or what so I shake my head again. "Jason?" I keep shaking my head, off course I knew about my uncle and my cousin, but that is it.

"Where's your father?" he asks.

"None of your business." I reply icily. Then I hear something new "You know" I realize that is why he is here.

He sits frozen, looking at me unbelievingly. I do not know what to reply. Just then the front door open.

"Delia, Judy, I'm home" she turns and sees me with the intruder, now both gazing at her.


	2. Bill Compton

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Charlaine Harris, i'm just playing around.

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Ch.2

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_Be curious, not fearsome. _

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previously:

The man in the shiny old car was deciding whether to talk to mamma or not. I ran his license plate number and he gave me the same name when he introduced himself, so the car was not stolen. He asked about Alcide, and some guy named Quinn, then he asked me about Dad. Then i got a feeling that he knew exactly where and how Dad was. We were both too shocked to talk to each other when Mom arrived.

"Delia, Judy, I'm home" she turns and sees me with the intruder, now both gazing at her.

-ñ-

"Bill" she reacts coldly, but with something else in her voice that I could not quite place.

"Sookie" he stands up and goes towards her. He seems about to hug her when she places a hand on his chest to stop him.

"Bill, what are you doing here? I told you not to come after me." My mamma is determined and I knew that he is up to something if even to a slightly lesser degree than her. I love my mamma, even though she is not a college graduate nor has a good job, she is worldly and intelligent. She does not look a day over thirty even though she is pushing fifty.

"It's been fifteen years, Sookie. I did was I was told. But I have bad news that I must share with you." He tells. My mother drops her hand and starts shuddering.

"Who died? Pam? Eric? Bubba?" she asks, saying names I have never heard before. She starts to cry, and this time she let him hug her.

"No, honey, they are all right." He comforts her. "Come" he asks of her and carries her bridal style and sits on the empty couch across from me.

"Dad" I read off his head. Dad is dead.

"What? Sam?" she looks from me to him. "What happened to Sam?" she asks. Bill cups her face and sighs.

"He was trying to stay neutral and help in the fight between the wolves and the panthers in Shreveport. Nobody really knows. Alcide, Orson Norris and Sam were having a secret meeting but something went wrong. All three were found dead. A single shot to the head. Could be anyone" he recounted.

"And now you need me to find out who did it?" mamma asks in between sobs.

"No, honey, I came because I thought it would be better to learn about Sam's passing from a friend." He says and holds her tight, then he speaks something without thinking about it so I had no heads up to what was coming. "And I came to ask for your forgiveness." He adds as an afterthought.

"For what?" she sobs, I cannot believe I have not been told to go away. My jaw drops, but I pulled it back up a second later.

"I was so selfish to not want to let you go. I have always loved you. Regardless of what Sophie-Anne asked me to do I felt connected to you the moment you saved me from those drainers. Please forgive me. I put you in danger too many times." He seems to be writing poetry, but he sounds sincere and honest. While he says this he is cleaning away her tears with his thumb and then licking them. Ick, I think, until I remember that bodily fluids are the only things vampires consume.

"Oh, Bill, I forgive you" she says. I thought this reconciliation looked overdue and that they both had had a long time since they needed it. But I am still stuck on the thought of Dad being dead. I look between them, suddenly deciding that I should leave.

Then my mamma kisses him, and he is kissing her back. I blinked unbelievingly for a couple of seconds, then clear my throat. Nothing.

"Mamma!" I say loud enough and she surfaces.

"Oh, shit" she says. That's right

"Sorry about that, Judith" Bill apologizes a bit too properly for my liking.

"It's nice that your fight is over" I say acidly. "But he's bringing news that Dad died!" I yell. I do not know if I should be crying about it instead of being pissed at them.

"What exactly is his history with you, mamma? And who is Anne-Sophie?" I ask, I am fuming and I feel like answers instead of crying right now.

"Sugah, there's a reason why I never let Bill back with you two. And Sophie-Anne was… one of the most loyal, beautiful, sincere and cunning vampires I have ever met. But I will only tell the story once, so go bring your sister. I don't care that it is her time of the month.

"So she's a shifter" Bill states, he is not asking, as I stand to go and get her.

"Yes, she's like Sam and Judith's like me" she tells him.

"She can hear me" he shares with her, am I that obvious? But I do not hear my mother's response to that. I wonder if they are kissing again after I left.


	3. He's Dead?

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Charlaine Harris, i'm just playing around.

Thanks to: ErinCullen, glad2bwell and DT for reviewing. You guys rock!

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Ch.3

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_Be curious, not fearsome. _

* * *

previously:

The man in the shiny old car was deciding whether to talk to mamma or not. I ran his license plate number and he gave me the same name when he introduced himself, so the car was not stolen. He asked about Alcide, and some guy named Quinn, then he asked me about Dad. Then i got a feeling that he knew exactly where and how Dad was. We were both too shocked to talk to each other when Mom arrived. She was surprised to see him, and faced him with a distant attitude, until he started cuddling her and then she kissed him. I had to interrupt then. I started asking questions, but she told me the answers Delia needed to hear too. I went on my way upstairs to get her... "She can hear me" he told her, was I that obvious? But I did not hear my mother's response to that. I wondered if they were kissing again after I left

-ñ-

I can hear Iron Maiden before I even knock on her door. She is going to kill her sensitive hearing in no time.

I open the door, walk over to her and tap her shoulder. She pauses her music and looks at me.

"Mom needs to talk to us," I say, still pissed. And her moodiness is making me even more pissed, she rolls her eyes and looks at me with a must I glance.

"Coming" she does a few things on her digital book before standing. She removes her ear plug mufflers too.

When we come back, I do not speak to Delia, she is moody and I am pissed.

As we arrive in the living room, Bill is sipping on a red bottle that reads GENERIC O POSITIVE. Where did mamma get that?

"Adele, Judith" she says to us. She only addresses us by our full names when something is serious.

"Adele, I'd like you to meet my ex-fiancee, Bill Compton"

"You left him for Dad?" she asks ungraciously.

"No, your father came later," I can tell she is lying, Adele cannot. "He brought some news about your father," she chokes out.

Bill put his full attention on Delia. I wonder if he is doing something to her, like glamour or something. Just because I have never met a vampire does not mean that I am ignorant, besides, at school we have a class that mixes historical mythology with modern realities. .

"Your father had gone to Louisiana to mediate a conflict between Alcide Herveaux and Orson Norris. They arranged a meeting just the three of them to talk about a peaceful resolution. Something went wrong because all three of them were found dead." He pauses, letting his words sink in. I am still too mad at the way he brings these news to my mother and my mother kissing him. Mom is sobbing quietly besides him, careful not to touch him too much. Delia snarls at him.

"He had another daughter" Mom interrupts, looking for the right words to say. "One from a pure blood shifter just as himself. She fled Louisiana when he died there, along with her uncle. Her mother had died a few years back. She has no one"

"How come he never told us this?" I ask, knowing my mamma will understand what I mean.

"He did not consider her his daughter as he does you two. He had her because it was his responsibility for his family, his ancestors. She's called Clara."

"The thing is, she is running from the wolves and she has no protection. She needs protection" Bill explains.

"And that's us?" I ask. Both of them nod.

"Okay, so we have a long lost sister." Delia says. "And Dad is dead" she manages to say, she is blinking back tears but does not want us to see her. "Can I go to my room now?" she asks after summing up.

"Not yet," Mom says softly, she comes to sit on the other couch with us and holds Delia in her arms and lets her start crying.

"There's something else you must know, something that I have never wanted to tell to either of you" she says.

"The love Bill and I share is much larger and greater than the love I have for your father" she shares. That explains a lot.

"We had been saving each other's lives for eight years since we meet, until we had a fight, well, another fight that definitely left us too mad at each other."

"Bill asked me to marry him, but I was selfish, I wanted a family."

"No, I was selfish, I wanted you all for myself" he interrupts. She shut him up with a look.

"Thing is, your father has always loved me, I do not really understand why, but he took me in. He loved me too much. Then he started saying that things were getting weird, so we moved. It was for the best, it was the best way to not get involved with any southern vampires anymore. I only keep in touch with one. She's been the closest thing I've had to a friend in a long time." She tells us with concern written all over her.

"Pam" I say. It was the first person she asked him had died.

"Yes, Pam." She reiterates.

"Judith, can you really hear his thoughts?" she asks me. I nod slowly.

"Is that a bad thing?" I question back.

"No, it's just that I had never been able to listen to him" she shares. I nod apprehensively.

"Do they at least know?" he asks mamma.

"No, not really. Girls, Bill is your godfather. I had to fight for it, if anything was to happen to me, by law you would go to Crystal, but I could not bear it. If anything were to ever happen to me and Sam, he would look after you."

"Yes" he states. "And now I will do exactly that"

"Mom, who is Quinn?" I ask.

"Who?" she is definitely bewildered by my question.

"Quinn?" I ask, enunciating slowly.

"An ex boyfriend." She replies simply.

"He asked me if I had heard of him. He asked me about Alcide too, and then Jason." I blurt out.

"Oh, honey, I was just jealous that maybe he had mentioned them and not me" Bill explains. Did he just call me honey?

"Okay" I reply weakly.

Then Delia roars. She is starting to change. Too late to get her in another room.

"Judith, take Bill and go to my room, I'll be there shortly. Close the door" she indicates. She let go of Delia as she writhes on the floor. Bill is watching curiously, I take his hand and pull him up the stairs behind me. I wonder how much more mamma had never told us about.


	4. Mixed feelings

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Charlaine Harris, i'm just playing around.

Thanks to: ErinCullen, glad2bwell and DT for reviewing. You guys rock!

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Ch.4

* * *

_Be curious, not fearsome. _

* * *

previously:

The man in the shiny old car was deciding whether to talk to mamma or not. I ran his license plate number and he gave me the same name when he introduced himself, so the car was not stolen. He asked about Alcide, and some guy named Quinn, then he asked me about Dad. Then i got a feeling that he knew exactly where and how Dad was. We were both too shocked to talk to each other when Mom arrived. She was surprised to see him, and faced him with a distant attitude, until he started cuddling her and then she kissed him. I had to interrupt then. I started asking questions, but she told me the answers Delia needed to hear too. I went on my way upstairs to get her and when we came back he told her too. Dad is dead. She was taking it a bit better than I and started crying as Mamma explained a bit of her past with Bill. But, it being this close to the full moon and presenting Delia with such an emotional blow, made her changing start. And we were all in the room with he... "Judith, take Bill and go to my room, I'll be there shortly. Close the door" she said. She let go of Delia as she wriggled on the floor. Bill was watching curiously, I took his hand and pulled him up the stairs behind me. I wondered how much more mamma had never told us about.

-ñ-

I close the door behind us in the room and throw myself on the bed. Finally, I am having a moment to consider everything that has just happened. I have another sister. Does she look like me? Dad is dead. Would there be a funeral? Why was he back in Lousiana?

I notice Bill is listening to what was going on downstairs.

"Relax, she can handle. Sit" I tell him. He sits on the edge of the bed, worry still sketched around his face. I take a deep breath. A few minutes ago I was ready to kill him because he came with such bad news and such baggage. But right now, he looks broken.

"How come you were with my mom but you look younger than her?" I ask.

"We vampires do not age. I am a hundred and ninety six years old, even though I look thirty." He tells me. I nod and curl up on the bed. I take a deep breath in, and then the tears and the sadness just come to the surface and I start weeping in my mom's bed with a vampire besides me.

I try to cry silently and hope he will just let me be.

No such luck, he is soon caressing my hair and then patting my shoulders, then comforting me in the only way he knows how. I try to pry away at first, but he is offering comfort and I need it. I had no idea how long it would take mom to get my sister to the basement by herself and then come back up.

"I can't believe he is dead" I whisper, more like choke out, but he does not reply, realizing I left no room for an answer. He continues passing a soft and cold hand through my hair and back. Dad is really dead, and this… this fucking blast from the past came to tell us. Why not Crystal, or even Alcide? Oh, wait, he died too. Even Jonas could have done it! But no, my cousin is probably too busy getting a baby for his pack and bedding some of his aunts and cousins. Mamma told us why she did not approve of my uncle Jason marrying into Hotshot. Endogamy, I researched, that is what it is called. It sounds disgusting and too elitist.

I consider who else mamma has hid from us. She hinted that this Sophie-Anne person is dead. But, how does a vampire die? Aren't they supposed to live forever? Is that not the appeal of being a vampire?

What killed Dad? I have always thought that he is (not any more…) so strong, and I never thought that in his traveling he deals with (used to deal with…) such kinds of trouble. Mamma never said as much, and his thoughts were hard to read for me because he is (was, he was not is…) a shifter and thought more in emotions that in sentences. So did Delia, to a lesser degree. But I guess it is all pointless now, the whole not being able to hear dad fluently. I will never hear him again, not even his voice. I try to cover another sob, but it came anyways.

After a few more minutes ignoring Bill's (my godfather's?) hand in my hair and having a few select memories of Dad played in my head, I consider that I will soon drift off to sleep.

The door squeaks as Mamma came in, I get up and brush away tears from my cheeks. She looks tired. I start to stand to her help, but Bill beats me to it.

"It's rough for her," she explains to him. "On nights like these, when it is not yet the full moon, she gets fired up and cannot control herself, sometimes she changes completely, others not, sometimes just before the full moon, others just after. I wish I could be better about it like Sam is." She explains to him. Then she stops mid step.

"Oh, Sam" she gasps and starts crying again. I cannot help myself to listen to her while we are both in such a weak state. I never grew to love you as you loved me and now you are gone. Is that what she thinks of Dad? That she never loved him?

"Mamma…" I interrupt tentatively, I know this is not the best moment, but I need answers.

"Yes, honey?"

"You still have not told me who Sophie-Anne is. And I want to know why you and Dad kept everything about your lives secret from us! What's this about another sister? And apparently you have a long history with vampires too? I thought you said that we should have peaceful coexistence with them? Not live like them? You lied to us!" I am getting too heated up. I cannot stand Bill watching me break down and still feeling like he had to offer comfort to both of us. Also, mamma was not behaving adequately about Dad's death, considering her thoughts were mostly in her past with this guy that strolled in today instead of how not having Dad would impact her and us.

"I cannot believe either of you! Mamma! How can you be thinking about him…" I point, I do not care, I am enraged and this is not the time. "and stringing him when you just learned about Dad dying? And you" I turn my head viciously to attack him, but he did not do much more than give me a confused face and hide his fangs. "I am so sorry you had to bring us these news, but I would appreciate it if you kept your hands to yourself, mister! And I also think that you have no place worrying about what you don't understand"

But I do understand, I understand better than you, Judith. There are some things you don't know, but I do not blame you for not knowing them. He only thought it, but it is enough to spill the glass.

I grit my teeth and pull my hair. I am done listening to either of them. I do not care for shields right now. All I want is to be have some quiet time and be able to digest all the information that has been given to me tonight.

"I'm going to bed, see you in the morning, mamma." I spit, then I turn to my 'godfather' "Hopefully I won't see you tomorrow night" I snap, then I smile sourly at both of them and walk across the room, storming to mine, not bothering to close either door.

"Stringing me?" Bill questions

"Sex" she clarifies, all though the whisper is too low for me, she thinks about it and we are both broadcasting unevenly tonight.

"She has your temper" Bill pointed out to her.

"I CAN STILL HEAR YOU!" I scream loud and clear for them. Mamma came out of her room and into mine.

"Honey, rest, you'll need it, because tomorrow I will tell both of you everything. And yes, Bill will be here tomorrow still. He will stay with us until we know what to do now" she tells me. Brushing my hair with her hands. I ignore her hand and pretend to be crying and sleeping. She let out a small sigh before getting up and leaving, closing my door and then hers in the process. I try not to think about the fact that the man with the shiny old car was still in the room with her. To hell with that, I guess she is a widow anyways.

I place a feeble shield strong enough to block Bill and Mamma talking and thinking in the next room. I reminisce about Dad and cry for him for as long as I can stay up.

* * *

Wow! Thank you so much for reading and please review.

Initially, up to here had been the first chapter, but i decided to break it up in three. When the second chapter is ready, i'll break it up likewise too. unless you'd rather have larger chapters at a time?


	5. Incomplete explanation

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Charlaine Harris, i'm just playing around.

AN: Bold text is quoted directly from the book, i think it is pages 131 through 133 in Definitely Dead, so if you have not read that, i'll just give youa heads up that this is about The Queen of Lousiana. :d if you know what i am talking about, you have probably linked a few thoughts together, so enjoy!

Thanks for reviewing: Chryssalynn (you'll like this chapter, she is still digesting the whole Sam thing), Maggie79 (eric comes later... clara is more important right now), ErinCullen and sillyshalie

* * *

Ch.5

* * *

_Be curious, not fearsome. _

* * *

Unfortunately, we tend to fear what we don't understand. Mamma said that to Dad one time too many, it got stuck on me. And she said that she thought it to be a human condition, referring to how she could not understand why Dad even with his distinctive qualities was sometimes fearsome when there was no place to be. That is how she raised us. I am not afraid of Bill, well, I dislike him and the fact that mom introduced him as her ex fiancée. But I am curious, more curious even now with the sparse things that she managed to tell me last night.

I wake up at some point in the night and write down a few names and things I want an explanation for: Quinn, Sophie-Anne, Pam, Eric, Bubba, not knowing about my half sister (that Dad did not consider her a daughter is not enough), why she cut connections with the vampires (or did she not?), why we always stay put when either of them leaves (they never leave us completely alone, but both of them had left for prolonged spaces of time. I know Mamma is originally from Bon Temps, Louisiana and that she had never traveled much except when her and Dad decided to move here. Or is that also half truths? The pen slips from my grasp as I consider different scenarios and drift off to sleep, it is around three in the morning anyways.

I wake up again and watch my clock. It is nearly ten, Delia is probably in her room now trying to rest. She is probably thinking how it will feel and be like to change without Dad, it is quite something when they stand (stood, damn it) together. They usually did camping trips or other things so she could hunt when he was in town. But not me, they did take me once out when it was not full moon. They explain that they are dangerous, and until Delia could control herself it was safer this way. I notice that there is saliva and tears on my pillow. I ignore them and get up to take a bath.

Mamma has cooked corncakes, pancakes and eggs that smell delicious when I arrive at the breakfast table.

"Where's the vampire?" I ask inconsiderately. She gives me a glance.

"Sorry, where is your ex fiancée?" I ask again, trying to not make it sound insulting. She huffs but answers me anyways.

"I have a hidey hole where he is spending the day" she explains.

"Hidey hole?" I repeat.

"A light tight space where he will be safe from the sun" she says. I want to ask if it is in the basement or not, but refrain from doing so.

"Oh" I say. "Breakfast looks good," I comment, serving myself some eggs readily and eating a pancake without butter or syrup with my other hand. She makes them from scratch, and I have a suspicion she uses honey instead of sugar in the mix, that way making it sweeter alone.

"We need to talk" she says in her business tone. I nod. "First off, I am sorry you had to see Bill and me acting like randy teenagers last night…." She says, I immediately tense up. But it's been such a long time since I had seen him.

"Okay!" I interrupt. "Get on with it before I start getting mental images" I beckon, she laughs.

"Anyways, we have to find Clara" she says it as if it is a life and death situation. "She is a danger to herself and others"

"What can we do?" I ask.

"We are telepaths, and you are family. You have no idea how powerful that kind of blood bond is" I glare at her. "We are the best chance she has to get back to normal, as normal as she can be. But with us, she can relax and be calm, because we can help her."

"And she and Delia would probably connect" I realize. Mom nods slowly.

"Clara is more like Dad, she can transform into any animal, whereas since Adele is a half blood, she can only transform near the full moon and only into one animal. We are all different. Amongst their people, while your father is considered a shape shifter, your sister is considered a were-lioness. Clara is a shifter too" she explains. I eat and listen carefully.

"Okay, so we will drop out of school and go globetrotting after her. Then what?" I assume and ask.

"No, summer is near and you two have tests coming up. We will stay here and make a plan with Bill meanwhile." She explains.

"Bill, Bill, Bill, why is he here all of a sudden?" I ask, I found his presence irritating, and did not bother to hide it. She can read it in my mind if she wants to anyways.

"I understand that is difficult to consider me having any relationships prior to your father because you never knew about them. But since I was twenty five, I had a fair share of boyfriends before settling down." She smile to herself, and I block her before something I did not want to know my mother doing fills my head too.

"To the point" I ask.

"You had asked me about Quinn. Quinn is an ex boyfriend, similar to your father actually. He is a were tiger. He was very good to me, but he had a mother and sister that relied entirely on him and I could not compete with that. I did not tell him to chose between us, I just saw that I did not need him like they did. His sister actually came to see me pissed that I had left him. But she would not understand. I could not… be with him when I felt guilty about him not being able to be with them" she told me.

"You asked about Pam too" I nod. "Well, Pam is a girl, so, no she is not an ex boyfriend." I raise an eyebrow. "Nor an ex girlfriend, I do not swing that way!" she says it as if the thought disgusts her. I shrugged. Anything is okay with me. She does not have to sound all scandalous about it.

"And Bubba?" I ask.

"He's just a friend. He likes cats" she says and I see her face as she remembers something, and smiles as if keeping a joke to herself. I nod slowly. Wait, did she say that he likes cats? As in…

"He is a vampire too, though, not quite a vampire, he likes to drink cat blood instead of animal blood" she rectified.

"I'll never let Delia near him" I say jokingly. Delia could probably stand up to him, being such a big cat and all. Mamma laugh.

"There is still one you mentioned that you have not told me about yet" I offer. She nods. She is considering what to say, how to explain such a complex relationship.

"He is Bill's superior, and he wanted me. But he could not have me unless I willingly left Bill and went to him. He tried everything to get to me. He even forced a blood bond between us." I raise a questioning hand.

"Aren't blood bonds only the family kind?" I ask hoping the answer is yet because I do not want to know how the other one works. She shakes her head.

"I drank his blood" she says softly. I nearly choke on my current bite of pancake.

"Disgusting!" I emphasize.

"Not quite, and given the circumstances" I raise another hand.

"Do it fast" I beg.

"He made me suck out a bullet that got him in the shoulder after he stopped me from being hit, then I realized by another bullet that it would simply pop out. Later I willingly took some to be healthy for a life and death situation. Lastly, I took his blood instead of Andre's, Sophie-Anne's right hand man. After that, it was really confusing between us because I could feel how he felt about me, and that got in the way of me acting correctly around him. He wanted me, and wanted me for himself, so he rather enjoyed that. However, me not so much" she continues. "Eric Northman" she says, whether she is saying the name with disdain or unease is lost to me. "He caused half of my fights with Bill"

"Will you tell me more about Sophie-Anne?" I ask.

"I did not really know her much, all I know is that I kinda helped her save her marriage that was anyways doomed" she says cryptically. I keep my mouth shut and start downing a glass of orange juice.

"Morning" It is almost twelve, I notice, and Delia is just waking up. Mamma has been talking for quite a while.

"Whose marriage was doomed? Yours?" she asks. I always get the feeling that she shares so much with Dad in those camping trips, so much that I would kill to know, well, I cannot be jealous of that any longer. We both glare at her. "So… not funny"

"No, I was talking about a vampire marriage, which usually tend not to last very long. In this case, they were marrying over wealth, not love, but it was a necessary annexation. The Queen of Louisiana, named Sophie-Anne Leclerq, and the King of Arkansas has recently announced their marriage and were celebrating in kind. But they both had plans against the other, hoping for the others wealth. Their wedding contract was about three hundred pages long and was revised five times" she says, a story that is not forgotten easily.

"Sophie-Anne had had a fling with my cousin Hadley before the marriage and had lost a special piece of jewelry, an engagement gift, before Hadley passed. She kinda really, really needed it, she was certain that her husband would use her loss of it to start a war. It occurred anyways. But she got leverage in the trail after it"

"Why do I get the feeling you are keeping something from me?" I ask.

"She looked your age" she told me. "She was turned when she was very young. Actually, she told me in confidence a small part of her beginnings, it is a bit fuzzy for me… but it was something along the lines of a vampire taking her in after her village was destroyed in France, and how he abused her, and then she got her revenge after he turned her…" she stops talking.

**"I began my life in what became northern France, about … one thousand, one hundred years ago. I didn't know where I was, of course, but I think it was Lotharingia. In the last century I tried to find the place I spent my first twelve years, but I couldn't, even if my life depended on it." She gave a barking laugh at the turn of phrase. "My mother was the wife of the wealthiest man in the town, which meant he had two more pigs than anyone else."**

**-ñ-**

**"When I was about ten or twelve, I think, a peddler came to us from down the road. We hadn't seen a new face in six months. We were excited." She looked as if she did not remember the feeling of that excitement, only the fact of it. "He carried an illness that had never come to us before. I think now that it was some form of influenza. Within two weeks of his stay in our town, everyone in it was dead, excepting me and a boy somewhat older, Clovis. That first night alone, and the weeks afterwards, he raped me. He made a living for himself by selling me for food and money."**

**-ñ-**

**"The vampire was very hungry and started on Clovis first, because he was bigger, but when he was through with Clovis, he could take a minute to look at me and think it might be nice to have a companion. His name was Alain.**

**-ñ-**

**"Alain promised and promised to bring me over, because of course I wanted to be as he was. I wanted the strength." I could understand that.**

**"But when he needed money, for clothes and food for me, he would do the same thing with me that Clovis had, sell me for money. He knew the men would notice if I was cold, and he knew I would bite them if he brought me over. I grew tired of his failing in his promise. Then one night we came into a village where the head-man knew Alain for what he was. Stupid Alain had forgotten he had passed through before and drained the headman's wife! So the villagers bound him with a silver chain, which was amazing to find in a small village, I can tell you … and they threw him into a hut, planning to keep him until the village priest returned from a trip. Then they meant to put him in the sun with some church ceremony. It was a poor village, but on top of him they piled all the bits of silver and all the garlic the people possessed, in an effort to keep him subdued. They knew I was a human, and they knew he had abused me," she said. "So they didn't tie me up. The headman's family discussed taking me as a slave, since they had lost a woman to the vampire. I knew what that would be like." The expression on her face was both heartbreaking and absolutely chilling. I held very still. "That night, I pulled out some weak planks from the rear of the hut and crawled in. I told Alain that when he'd brought me over, I'd free him. We bargained for quite a time, and then he agreed. But the priest returned before three days were up. By the time I clawed my way out of the dirt, Alain was blackened ash in the wind. It was the priest's hut they'd stored Alain in. The old priest was the one who told me what had happened."**

**"I guess the priest was your first meal." I smiled brightly.**

**"Oh, no," said Sophie-Anne. "I told him I was the angel of death, and that I was passing him over since he had been so virtuous."**

**-ñ-**

**"My name then was Judith." She spoke, and the truthtfullness of that revelation, along with the uncomfortable fact that she and Hadley had definitely had some sort of pillow talk about me, I never forgot. **

"Wow" is the only thing I can think back. A very genuine imprint of a pale girl around my age but with the poise and decorum of a noblewoman stays in my mind. And I am named after her.

"You named me after a vampire?" I ask after she finishes projecting her memories into our minds, Delia saw it somewhat fuzzier, but I guess it is mostly our blood bond that allows us to communicate like this.

"Wow, and I thought your name had no significance like mine" Adele points out. I roll my eyes.

"I chose both your names very carefully." She tells us sternly. "After two of the most amazing women I have ever met." She shares to us.

"What about Pam? Would that have been your third girls name?" I ask.

"Oh, no!" she says quickly. "Pam's amazing, but we disagree on too many things. Plus, I personally don't think she'd like that. She'd probably say something along the lines that only if Eric allows her, which then would mean I'd have to make him godfather or something, or promise him for my first boy to be named after him, which Sam would not even consider. Nor would I" she said, she was dealing with Dad's death quite well, a bit too well in my opinion.

"So, you'll have to catch me up with all of this" Delia says thumping her empty glass back on the table. I start telling her, in a summarized version. And since I have gotten a good sleep, I forget all about addressing Bill with contempt.

"So… you nearly got married to someone else? Before Dad?" she asks after hearing the whole story. She nods.

"We love each other a lot" she explains. "Even though we have both done pretty ugly things to each other, he has always stuck by me and helped me. And, I did a lot of things for him too" she shares.

"How about you tell us a happy story about you and Dad before you got married?" I ask I am tired of replaying my own memories of him.

"He did something very brave and went with me to a were battle is Shreveport, an outsider had come and kidnapped the women of their pack, trying to put them against each other. Until I realized that we needed a peace talk, and he came along with me. That was the first time I saw him morph into his lion shape. It was so powerful, and so big besides all the other wolves." She says, not dreamily, but happy. "That same night Alcide was made packmaster" she tells us. "Sam was really scared for me and fought bravely." She reminisced us. I got a slight image of her seeing a lot of hurt weres turn back to human, and stark naked. I close my eyes and toughen my barriers.

"You both have to work on control," she tells us. "Especially you, Delia, because we no longer have your father to help us. I could always call Quinn though…" she considers it for a few seconds.

"I think I can do it, I have been getting better on being on my own in the last couple of months, Dad has not been here for the last five full moons." She says to her. My sister is nearing seventeen next November, and my birthday is a few weeks after. She has been changing since she was eleven. Funnily, she started changing a month before her first period.

"Okay, good, because I know for a fact that Quinn and Bill are not on the same page with each other." She says with a sigh of relief. "Go get your school work done because tonight we have a lot to do" she says to us. It is three in the afternoon, we have been talking for quite a while.

"I have another question." She looks curiously at me.

"Why did you never tell us about your past with vampires?"

* * *

Hi, i asked about longer chapter and since i only got one vote in favor, i went with that. Hope y'all like it!

And please review! I work faster when you do.


	6. Explain and rewind

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Charlaine Harris, i'm just playing around.

AN: italics is thoughts, and i did try to not have so many this time. I love your comments, that helps me improve, to thanks to everybody that has helped!

Also, anyone up for betaing?

Thanks for reviewing: DD and sillyshalie.

* * *

Ch.6

* * *

_Be curious, not fearsome. _

* * *

Don't be scared, don't be frightened. Sometimes answers are not needed, but this was not the time. And with understanding, fear is almost always diminished. She seem at a loss for words for quite a few minutes, and I keep my barriers up as she mulls over her answer. Delia is eating a few pancakes swimming in honey maple syrup with almond oil, a special recipe from Grandma Stackhouse, but looking at her just as attentively as I am.

"Well, I just thought…" she considers for a few seconds. "I don't know, I thought that it would rise too many questions. You have seen Pam, you just have not talked to her. She comes over a few times a year. She says she just wants to reminisce with me, and I like that, but I know she is just making sure I am okay. 'The dog is treating me right' would be what Eric would call it. Bill always calls, and he never says who he is over the phone. Something about other people realizing he is still in touch with me." She chooses her words and talks slowly. "But the bottom line is, when we moved her, your father asked me to please let you grow up without dealing with vampires. Be it past or present. And I agreed with him. Most vampires are too greedy, be it for money or sex. And if they ever wanted something from me or him, kidnapping either would be a great leverage. I know from first-hand experience how that affected Quinn." She shudders a bit as she remembered how his hands have always been tied regarding his mother and sister. Stay out, I scold myself.

"But, things are changing. Sam is gone and now I have a few tasks to complete for him. I will not go down to Louisiana and play peacemaker for the panthers and wolves, i do not know well anyone in power right now. Plus, Eric would notice I am there too quickly for my liking." She explains. "After we drank each others blood, we became bonded. And it has faded a bit, but if we are close, we can feel each other. And that never turns out well." She says. I want to meet him even more now.

"Girls, I need you to finish these last two weeks of classes as if nothing has changed. Your fathers body, thanks to Bill, has already been buried," she pauses, and takes a far away distant look. I look at her attentively, I have a feeling that she wants to say something but does not know how to phrase it. "And I did not even get to say good bye" she finishes, she is trying to hold back tears. She is afraid that if she is a mess, she will not be able to keep a straight head for us in these situations.

"You should go study" she tells us and leaves the table. She is taking shallow breaths and I know she is crying freely as soon as the door closes behind her.

"I can smell her tears" Delia tells me. I nod, I cannot, but I know she is crying.

"Why is she taking this so hard on herself?" It is not her fault. I want to go out and cry with her, but I know she does not wants us to see her like that.

"Because she wants to be strong, but can't" she tells me. She is just a year older than me, but sometimes the difference is gigantic. "Dad once told me about their first date. He told me he was already too late, that she loved someone else. He did not say who it was, but I am pretty sure it is Bill." She says. "He told me that Sookie was one of the few people he decided to tell before they were outed, when the Weres decided to go public twenty years ago. He says he never felt someone that understood him quite that way" she shares. I am listening attentively.

"Their relationship has always been a rocky one, we both see them argue from time to time." I agree. "But they love each other." I am still making myself belief that, even now when I know that this is not exactly true.

"Judy, Dad loved Mamma before he even knew he did. She decided to love him when he asked her to marry her" she states with wisdom beyond her years. I nod, that is exactly what I was trying to understand but did not want to say out loud.

"Yeah" I say, a bit deflated by the knowledge.

"So, what do you think about having another sister?" I ask.

"The truth, I am scared. If she is a true shifter, she is much stronger than I am, and if she does not want to be found, finding her will be near impossible." She says. Wow, she must have already been thinking about this for a while.

I do not reply, I cannot think of the words anyways.

"I need a shower" she says and pushes off her seat and goes upstairs. I stay in the kitchen by myself, it still smells good from all the food Mamma made, but it seems that it lands on me to clean the kitchen and store the leftovers. A Ziploc ® for the pancakes and corncakes, and the eggs were all gone so that left the dishes to be done. I do then slowly and see that it must be around three already. I check the clock and notice it is actually four thirty. But I think the time was needed, so many things are just a bit clearer, but other questions have formed.

Mamma comes in when I am finishing drying the last two dishes. She smiles at me weakly, I ignore the tear streaked face because I know it would just upset her if I point it out.

"Thanks, honey" she tells me.

"No prob" I reply and want to ask her something again.

"So, where do we look for Clara if the last we know is that she was in Louisiana but you do not want to go there?" I ask, a bit bluntly, but it had to be done.

"Sam has a safe house in Ohio, near the border with Canada, and another one in Tamaluipa, we will check those two first, because I now Clara knows about those. If not, we will do some asking around. We will be driving, so it may take all summer long and part of fall" she tells me.

"Why not leave now?" I ask.

"Your education is important, and since I want you to lead a life as normal as can be, you will finish the year. In fall, when it is time, I will apply for you to take courses online while we are on the road." She explains. I nod slowly. "How will Compton travel with us?" I inquire.

"In the car, we will drive at night and a bit after sunrise, his car actually has a hidden hidey hole, it is most efficient. And you can sleep while we drive.

"And during daylight?" I ask. "We make stops, we investigate, we study, we prepare ourselves" she tells me.

I am so not looking forward to this anymore.

"Honey, I know I am asking for something very difficult for you, but please be nice to Bill. And call him Bill, not Compton, not ex fiancée. He cares so much for all of us, you have no idea. And a vampire that cares is a rare vampire indeed. You have no idea how blessed I am to have found Bill" she says. I glare at her, indecise.

"I'll try" I say. "But I still think he was too touchy last night" I say.

"I'll tell him that" she says, though I already did.

"I have to do my homework" I say, and move upstairs. Mamma nods and says she has to go out and run a few errands.

"I need to have some blood in the house" she explains. Oh well, I better start getting used to that, too.

Night comes to fast while I am doing my homework upstairs. At around eight, there is a knock on my door. I know that only one person would bother to knock.

"You don't have to knock, Bill" I say to the closed door. He opend the door carefully and lets himself in.

"I feel that I must explain myself to you" he asks curtly. I put down my microchip pen and let my tablet PC rest on my thighs, I have taken a preference to studying with my legs on my desk and my computer on my lap.

"Sure," I open I new page in my journal and gesture for him to sit in the bean couch I have rolled up in a wool blanket. He sits, not expecting the gravity to send him so low. I ignore a laugh, and it results in a snort.

"Sorry, did not think you had not seen one of those" I choose to say.

"That is quite all right," he offers and adjusts himself on the seat. He is more on the floor than sitting, but that is fine by me.

"I may not be your father's favorite person in the world, but we have an understanding. He knows that I care for Sookie as much as he does, and we have always respected her choices. She chose him, I stayed away." He said. "I am not sorry for being the one that came to tell you about your father, but I am very sorry about my behavior last night towards Sookie." He says the name with praise and love, I can somehow understand why they had to cut each other off. If he was around, Dad would feel that he was always in a competition for her affection.

"How much did Dad trust you? Because I know that Mamma trusts you with her life." I reply, with her life is a bit of an understatement, but it was true.

"He knew I would never lead Sookie directly into danger, never willingly, never unwillingly. I protected her from other vampires, as many as I could with my low rank and he protected her from the supes, be it the panthers and the weres. But I knew that one day, she would chose one of us. If she chose him, she would have a normal family, one she had always wanted. If she chose me, she would not" he explains slowly.

"Unlike her, Sophie-Anne Leclerq thought nothing of me. I was, still am, a young vampire, and the only use I was to her was through the vampire database I collected, and my hometown rose her attention when her girlfriend mentioned Sookie. I was under her rule and had to do her bidding, but we never really were close." He tells me. "But, Sookie was a valuable asset to all the vampires she encountered because of her telepathy. That is in part why she took you away, she did not know instantly that you and Adele were gifted like her, but she wanted your safety. I have been in touch with her carefully, as has Pam, to ensure she is still safe. There are only seven vampires living in Washington, and they are unaware of Sookie's residence here." He sighs, I think it was more a motion than a breath. "Well, they are still fighting over who should rule the state, since apparently, the eldest has a weak power the second eldest is a powerful man…. Sorry, I am getting off topic. I want to tell you that even though Sookie and I have had our ups and downs, I would give my life for her. I would meet the sun to ensure her safety. And I feel the same way about you and your sister. I know last night I was not on my best behavior, but Sookie, although she hates to admit it, is weak and emotional, I comforted her in the best way I know how. And I know she feels terrible about Sam. I do not know how true the statement about her loving me more than him is." Though he hopes it is true. "But I only want what is best for your family. And I would like you to give me a chance, please" this last was not a request, it was a petition. I can not stop a small smile from gracing my lips.

"You are sincere" I say. "I am sorry I read your thoughts so deliberately, but I was being careful" I say.

"I understand that" he says.

"Huh" I think for a second. "So my godfather, huh?"

"You can just call me Bill," he asks me with a small smile too.

"Uncle Billy?" I ask. He wrinkles his head in disgust.

"If you were five, I'd allow it." He says. "I rather like Bill, but my kids called me Billam, my youngest could not pronunciate it and they older ones adopted that nickname as a joke." He shares with me. His eyes glaze over and he looks as if he is remembering something that happened decades ago (probably true).

"Billam" I laugh. "How about Uncle Bill?" I ask.

"That suits me fine" he agrees.

"Okay, Uncle Bill" I say, feeling the name roll of my tongue. Yeah, it sounds okay.

"Thank you" he smiles. Turns out I like his smile.

"Can you tell me anything about Sophie-Anne? The way mamma described her, she sounds awesome." I try not to sound too excited.

"Well, you know how every vampire has a special trait? Well, just like all humans do, actually." I nod. "She has the power to make everyone she turns love her. Not just lust after her, but really love. She could communicate with them through their minds, and they never left her, unlike all vampires, they always stayed with her maker." He shared with me.

"Does the amount of people you turn determine you status of power?" I ask. He thinks about it for a second.

"No, not really. The more people you turn, the more blood you lose. You cannot turn just anyone, and it is a tricky business, sometimes it goes wrong." He explains.

"Like Bubba." I say. He gives me a questioning look. "Oh, I as briefed this morning in just about anything I wanted."

"Yes, like Bubba" he nods slowly. I get the feeling that he is not the type to show much emotion.

"How many people have you turned?" I ask.

"One" he says. Oh.

"Him or her?" I ask.

"Her." He says stiffly.

"Does Mamma know?" I ask.

"Off course, and she is mighty jealous of your Mother" he says, I think it would have sounded better if he laughed after saying that, but he does not.

"I think I do not want to know how jealous she was." I say, hitting the right spot.

"Right. Judith, may I borrow your computer?" he asks, he does not strick me as the kind of person who would know how to even use one, but then again, looks can be misleading.,

"Okay, you know how to use one of these?" I ask.

"I had one of these, but I got a newer one last year." He establishes. Fine, so he knows his way around electronics.

"Sure." I say. I save my work and close my web browsers, something tells me that I should close the license plate registrations and the website that only allows vampires in, which I had hacked into using the name of one of the vampires of Washington. Only the desktop was inevitable for him to see, so I let it be. It is an image I had altered of the sunrise and the sunset against the blue ocean, it is pretty neat and I am mighty proud of it. On the visitors log in, I had a photo I had personally taken of moonlight filtering through a trees leaves.

"You like photography." He states. I nod.

"I'm gonna go down for a bite, you want some blood?" I offer. He nods his head slowly, going into being one with the machine. I figure I might as well take my time.

I take a good look at him appreciating that he is not noticing my staring. He is dressed in another button up shirt, and I am pretty certain he is wearing a wife beater beneath it, and his pants are definitely in style. It is only his hair that does not look modern. Dad used to shave his head biweekly, but it always grew back fast and all over the place. Oh, this is the first time I say something about that in the past tense. Is this bad? Does that mean I am already forgetting? Do I want to forget?

I shake my head a small bit. Bill is opening new windows and typing fast, he had no idea he is logging into the website I had just logged off of.

"Judith, do you mind if I set up an account?" he asks. I blink. I want to ask what about his computer, but something tells me he will not be able to return to it.

"Sure, go ahead." It might actually be good to me in order to get some privacy. I make my way out of my room and down to the kitchen. Mamma is there, and she is reheating some left overs from yesterday and the day before. When dad is not home, there are always left overs. So. Maybe not so gone as of yet. I smile, happy that in my thoughts he still is.

I serve myself some steamed veggies and sit down with them. She glances at the bread and I wrinkle my nose.

"I ate a whole lot of pancakes for breakfast, I don't feel like any more flour will fit in my system." She agrees softly, but takes a small bite for herself.

"Bill doesn't know that I am named after Sophie-Anne" I comment.

"And he does not need to know. I understand their relationship was a bit stretchy." She says to me. I decide I have had enough answers for one day, but make a mental note to ask later.

"You okay?" I ask.

"No, not at all, but I want you to know we will get better. We will find Clara, and I think I figured out a way to make this work a bit better." I perk my eyebrows and look at her wonderingly.

"I am going to as a friend to tell me if he knows of any other family Sam might have had, they were a bit close. Either way, if she turned to her mothers family, that would be easier to find since they are settled and not drifters like Sam." She tells me.

I get the feeling that we are drifters too, we have moved from Louisiana to Florida, to Nevada, to Ohio (probably that was the safehouse we were going to) and to Nicaragua, but that was more like a very long vacation, even though I went to school.

"And what are the odds that we will be followed?" I ask.

"Pretty low if we stay off the radar." She says. I try not to interpret that too much.

"Okay." I say. "Has Delia eaten yet?" I ask.

"Yeah, she came quite a while back and took all the very rare meat we had in the fridge." She supplies. I laugh a bit. I do like meat, but not that rare.

"It is wise to encourage her to have raw meat?" I ask.

"I think it is healthy." She replies.

I guess it is. So I just shrug in response.

"Did you talk to Bill?" she asks, hope in her voice and doubt in her head.

"Yes, he seems to be quite good at explaining himself when he is given the chance." I reply. She shivers, something tells me she did not let him explain at least once. Or twice.

"Yes, he is quite good at that." She says. "Apologies, explanations." She says, disrupting her dreamy state. I roll my eyes behind my eyelids.

"I have to read a chapter for school. Excuse me" I say and wash my plate. I take a bottle of blood before leaving the room. Mamma does not question me.

I notice a tear in Mamma's face as I leave the room. I tell myself she is crying over Dad and go upstairs. The heavy Marilyn Manson song made me turn my head towards Delia's room, and my body followed.

"You talking with somebody?" I ask as she turns her head towards the door to acknowledge my presence from behind the screen of her plasma screen computer, her digital book is thrown on her bed.

"Yeah, this honey bear in Vermont that thinks we have a lot in common." She giggles. There is a rough sound coming from her earplug muffler that I can only imagine is laughter.

"Oh, what's his name?" I ask. I did not like big guys a lot, but Delia does.

"Ethan." She says. "Ethan says pleased to meet ya." She says. I look at her computer. She does not have the webcam on; she is just on the phone. Phew.

"Can you lend me your digital book?" I ask.

"Why?" she asks.

"Cuz Bill asked nicely for my computer and I want to finish reading a chapter from out World History book." I explain. She gives me a go ahead with her hand and continues with her conversation with the bear.

"I like fish a lot too!" I hear her say into the mike that comes out of her earplugs. Something tells me that they like to hunt fish, not eat fish.

I go to by room again, Bill is still in front of the computer screen. I smile politely at him and perch myself by the window with the digital book. That is the advantage of having my tablet, I did everything in it, while Delia reads in her digital book, types and chats in her computer and talks through the phone. I had it all in one.

I tap the screens a few times and get to the chapter I want to read. I get submerged fast into the Inquisition and Colonialism of America, I still find that the amount of cultures that were destroyed is disgusting. But the historian, regretfully, always has a point of view.

I huff when they describe the capacity of the Aztecs and Incas was destroyed by the cannon. Bill looks up.

"Something wrong, honey?" he asks.

"I hate that my history book is completely one sided." I say.

"What are you reading on?" he asks. I do a quick math and know he was not around for that time.

"Imperialism and Colonialism in America, The early fifteen hundreds" I explain.

"Hmm" he makes a weird sound, I wonder what he is thinking but refrain myself from entering his mind. Then he starts clicking and typing again, a bit faster I might add.

"Found it." He says, as if he finished a though essay.

"Found what?" I ask.

"A vampire from that time, an Aztec by the name of Jade Lily" he tells me.

"Listen, this chat is closed off to vampires only, so one of two, pretend you are a vampire attending college and studying that, or if you are informed enough pretend to be from that time." He asks me.

"College vampire" I say. He types in a few words.

"Screenname for this session?" he asks.

"The Historian?" I make a joke about a literature book I had read a while back. He types it in. "No, no, that was a joke. How about frustrated college girl?" I say. "And dash it" I ask. He obliges.

"There" he says. "Don't stay in there too long. And be polite, not all vampires are keen on sharing their history, but she is in that chat, so maybe she will be useful." I nod.

"Thanks a lot" I tell him. I do not have the heart to tell him that I had hacked that private vampire website months ago and had been listening in to interesting conversations months ago, though I used them the least to do homework.

"You are welcome" He never uses contractions, does he? I guess that is how they spoke in his time.

"I shall be downstairs if you need me. Thank you for allowing me to use your computer." _Which I suggested your mother was a great device for you to have_, he ends in his head. I push back a laugh.

"Anytime." I say, ignoring the thought that he managed to push towards me.

He unnecessarily shuts the door behind him.

I talk to Jade Lily for about forty minutes, loving every second she tells me about her life before and after being turned. I tell her I am taking a course on Colonialism and Imperialism in my history class and that my textbook only has the European point of view, maybe she can help me with the other perspective. She is glad to make her original culture sound good. I found out more than I ever thought I would.

True, I had done this a few times before, but the fact that Bill did this kind of favor to me and had given a good apology earlier. That about put him on my good side.

"Where are you studying?" Jade Lily asks me after a few really good explanations. Oh, shit.

"University of Louisiana" I lie quickly.

"Okay. If I am ever around I shall look you up."

"That would be nice" I write, does that sound vampirey?

"Must be tough going to night lessons." I read and nod.

"Yes." I type in.

"Well, I must entertain tonight, but it was great talking to you." She texts twice.

"Same here, I have to go out and feed at some point too." I write. Did that just come out naturally?

I log off. That was a close call. I go downstairs and walk in on Bill and Mamma talking, a good distance between the two. Or rather chess game between them.

"Does the University of Louisiana give night courses?" I ask Bill as I settle on Mamma's side of the table.

"Yes" I nod.

"Good" I reply.

"Did you lie?" he asks. I shrug. "A lot?"

"Not really, she asked me where I was studying and then said that night lessons must be tough. She said she had to entertain and then I told her I had to go feed at some point anyways. She told me she'd look me up if she was ever in Louisiana." I said with a tempting grin.

Mamma is shocked I lied so easily. Bill was laughing, or at least I think he was.

"My congratulations to your resourcefulness." He says. I take that as a compliment.

"I cannot believe you got her in" is the only thing Mamma says.

"She said she did not like that her textbook only tells one side of the history. I agree with her. The Civil War to me is nothing like what the Northern States describe it in their books." Mamma rolls her eyes.

_Mamma, move the knight to the left and then make him target your pawn, you have it straight for the tower to go the queen._

"You two are tricky" Mamma says. Bill smiles warmly at her and winks at me. I grin too, but rather let snuggle to her arm and find the most innocent tone I can.

"Uncle Bill was thanking me for lending him my computer." I said in the sweetest tone I can. It came out a bit bittersweet, but I made it squeaky just for mamma.

"Uncle Bill, huh, is that right?" she asks looking between the both of us.

"Sure beats Billam." He says and moves. It does not affect the course I had thought for her to win. To my surprise, Mamma follows my advice.

"Who called you Billam?" she asks.

"My children, when my youngest could not pronounce it. They had it for like a half a year before I left to war." He says.

"Oh, Bill, I'm sorry" she says. He gives her a certain look that I am not able to decipher.

"You have nothing to be sorry about." He says, and then moves.

"Honey," Mamma says and moves to grab his arm. "You did not have to go there." She says.

"I did not realize I was until I had done it." He says.

"Still." She pushes on.

"Let it be, Sookie." He asks. Mamma looks down at the chess pieces for a small while. _You are right, he has to take my pawn if I move it that way_. She makes a deeper face of concentration and then moves the pawn.

Initially not bothering with the pawn, Bill looks at the board planning his next move slowly.

"Sookie, I am sorry, but I will take that last pawn of yours." He says. So what? She's about to win.

"Oh, dear." She says. _I've never beat him before_, she tells me excitedly in my head, but her expression remains hidden.

He moves his knight to take the pawn, leaving the queen completely unprotected.

"Oh my, is that what I think it is?" Mamma asks. She is being playful. I smile a bit.

"You can check mate" I tell her. Bill looks at the board. _What? How did I miss that?_ He looks at the board to see if there is anyway to stop it. But he has lost.

Mamma takes the tower between her index and fuck finger, and moves it slowly until she hits the queen slowly and she rolls to the side. She's grinning at him.

"I have to keep my promise of what I will do if you ever beat me." He says. Something tells me that I do not want to know about it.

"Okay, good night, Uncle Bill, good night, Mamma. I take that as my cue." I say and float up a second later and hustle to my room. I hear a giggle. I rummage my desk for my remote and turn on my music. Unlike Delia, I like soft and old music. I had in a disc from early Italian baroque. It is quite soothing, and I read my history chapter at ease, knowing a bit more about the other side.

Maybe this whole Bill thing would not be so bad.

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Hi, I don't know if posting sooner or later is better or not for reviews, but i will deal with that later. Meanwhile, i would love it if you reviewed! Thanks for reading!


	7. School day

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Charlaine Harris, i'm just playing around.

AN: italics is thoughts, and i did try to not have so many this time. I love your comments, that helps me improve, to thanks to everybody that has helped!

Also, anyone up for betaing?

Thanks for reviewing: DD (you make me feel like i have critters inside, thank you so much), carry (actually, i know you have to be both of the two natured to produce a kid were, and there are times when it does not happen, but as far as shifters are concerned, they never quite explain it, i just assume that one shifter is powerful enough to make his first kid two natured, but only a were as opposed to a shifter like him, does that make sense? anyways, thanks), Mayra, GaijinVamp and Maggie79.

AN2: Heads up, this is me reminding the readers that the girls are still high schoolers, so the situations are simply more high school-y for this chapter. One time thing, i promise. A lot of interesting made up characters in this one, so I hope you enjoy.

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Ch.7

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_Be curious, not fearsome. _

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Fear is actually a basic human instinct, and it is quite difficult to face the unknown with curiosity (which is learned) rather than fear. I think I am afraid if sex, I mean, I am curious, maybe a bit too bi curious, but I am doubly scared of STDs and teenage pregnancy. Maybe that is why I do not like boys so much.

I thought back to my ex girlfriend, she lives in Ohio, where we were living a year and a half back. I was fourteen, she was fifteen. We still write to each other regularly, but she never knew about my telepathy. But it is because she was so sincere in the way that she liked me and so honest about it, that lured me towards her. She never lied, not to me, not to anyone. I felt terrible for not telling Dad about her, but I had a feeling that he was not as homo accepting as Mamma. And Delia definitely, definitely liked boys. This was just another ship to be nearly alone in, I never really told anyone but Delia about her.

On second thought, I did not even give them a chance to say that the whole beating him promise had nothing sexual involved, but I would rather be on the safe side. Bill is down for the day by the time I get up anyways, so no chances of seeing him in her bed.

My alarm clock sounds as I am thinking about these few things in bed, already awake but not up. I push the covers off and then get up and stretch. School day. After such a weekend, I am ready for one of those.

A shower, a pee, and a pair of underwear later I am rummaging my closet for a clean uniform skirt to wear. I found it quick enough. I pull out a button up white blouse and my school vest to go with it. I go down for a quick breakfast: fruit.

Delia is having eggs that she made for herself. Mamma usually gets up later than us, and we manage okay. She works at night, we understand.

"Anything interesting happen last night?" Delia asks. She is an honors student, but even though she misses three days of classes per month, still manages to stay on top.

"I helped Mamma beat Bill at chess." I say.

"You've warmed up to him" she says, sipping on some coffee. I am drinking a glass of cold milk, yes, call me chat.

"Oh, you will once the moon starts to wane, he is a pretty nice guy. A gentleman too." I say.

"I do not know what to think of him yet." She says.

"Should we tell people at school about Dad?" I ask. She shakes her head quickly.

"No. The less people know, the less questions they ask." She says. I silently agree. She leaves to her room to get her books.

I finish my papaya and apple and make my way upstairs again. I brush my teeth before tucking the toothbrush in my bag. I check the battery on my tablet to see if I should take the charger or not. Huh, not today, goody.

I pull my backpack over my shoulders and make my way downstairs. Delia missed classes last Friday, because it was the full moon the night before and she had had a rough night. She looked quite all right yesterday night.

I stood by the door and waited for her. When she took a bit longer than usual coming down again, I scanned the house for her brain to see where she was. She is still up in her room. She's okay, a bit tired, but okay.

"So, will you tell me more about Ethan the bear from Vermont?" I tease as she comes down the stairs.

"He's from a pack" she tells me. "has a younger sister like me."

"Not as nice as me" I say with a mocking smile.

"His mother is divorced and has a second marriage with a human, she is a second cousin of his father. They married for the pack. But their duties have been filled."

I lock the door behind me as I listen to her talk.

"He likes Manson just like I do." She ticks on a finger on her left hand. "He is pretty hot, I'll show a picture later, and he thinks that lions are one of the most powerful animals." She says. I'll believe it when I see it.

"Hmm… and what are his intentions?" I say in mock imitation of Bill.

"Dunno, he is fun to talk to though" she tells me about him until the bus arrives for us like two minutes later. We get in and sit with separately. I sat with Dave, my friend who is still in the closet.

"Hey" he stirs awake when I plop besides him. He is as normal as can be, well, maybe a bit on the shallow end, but he is fun.

"Hey yourself" I say with a smile and pull my knees up against the seat in front of me to sleep the half hour to get to school too.

He dozes off a second later too. I close my eyes and try to sleep, but the buzzes around me are a lot, and it takes me a while to drown them all out and then fall asleep, or at least as asleep as I could be.

I wake up a few meters before reaching the curve of Xander Wills High School. Yeah, private school afforded by the money I have no idea where it comes from, I do not know if it is a shifter fund that Sam secretly uses for both of us or if it is money that Mamma has saved from working for Southern Vampires. Either way, I like it here.

We lazily get out of the bus and go to the building, it is not chilly anymore, but I always rather be inside. Dave follows with me.

He nudges me to see some guy showing off his biceps to some girl. A jock and a cheerleader, how unusual. I sneer.

"What do you make of that?" That he thinks that if he shows her the size of his arms she'll relate it to his dick, which is not so relat… similar. She thinks that maybe by getting close to this one the one she really likes, that is dating Sarah, will look at her by association of his buddy.

"Neither one likes the other, not really." I say, it sounds safe enough.

"I mean, he's hot." He says. I smile.

"Yes, Dave, off course he is. I mean, like, really, like, look at those biceps and triceps. He must really work out." I say, fake gushing seeping through me.

"Thank you." He says.

"My turn" I snap.

"Hmm, look at that nice cheerleader ass, you can bounce golf balls on that. And nice curves, wanna just grab her and bone into her." He says.

"Bone into her?" I glare at him. "More like grab those sensuous curves slowly, finding where it tickles her, licking slowly to her thighs and then finding out the mystery of how much of it she lasers off."

"You are so gay." He tells me.

"Ditto, Dave" I say with a smile. Unfortunately for me, there are a lot of gay guys prancing around this school. Not even proper snooping in the girls locker rooms gave me a hint of any girl being at least a bit curious about the other side. And I am more the girl rather than the guy in the relationship, at last I had been in my only prior one.

We get to class a few minutes later. He knows I am reviewing in my head, so appreciates a few male butts without my comparing false remarks.

As I walk in, I notice nothing strange. This would be a normal school day. Then Lyn walked in.

Lyn is a year older than me, she is in my sister's year. She has long silky hair that trails all the way down to her back, nearly reaching her butt. She is oriental and has pretty, small dark eyes. She has a small mouth too, which quirps upwards at every chance she gets. She is not flat chested, but definitely has more boobs than me. She has small curves and a delicious dip before her butt. I tear my gaze away, even though I am at the back with Dave, and he knows I long for her unlike any other girl.

She is the student council, so these rounds are often. I think she is talking about the prom that will be in about two weeks.

"Do you have a date for the prom?" someone asks. She blushes a bit at that comment, oh my, I want to make her blush. And then looks down.

"No, put that is irrelevant." She says. "I need to know which of the two themes you side with the most. So just send a vote to my address. I trust you all have it? Saying if you prefer Threesomes and more, or Wildlife Escapade. I knew a few people that I had a bit of a trouble reading that would definitely go for Wildlife Escapade.

I do not care, I will most probably not attend it anyways. Suddenly, a felt bold.

"Can we take a vampire with us?" I ask. A few heads turn my way. Did I just say that?

_Oh my god, can we? … I am taking a vampire … Vampires? … Might as well tell any were to join us too … I am not coming if there are going to be … No, not in this school …_ I closed my eyes. I opened them a little. Oh yeah, I had made her blush. Score one.

"Sorry, I did not catch that." I say to her. She had mumbled something underneath her breath.

"Well, there is really nothing written about it." _Wow, she did not strick me as the type to be around vampires, I thought only Goths did that_, Lyn thinks, and I am ready for it.

"Okay thanks. See, Dave?" I tell him. Just to get to him. He blushes furiously and lowers his head too. "Thank you, Lyn" I say and smile prettily to her.

She just nods and makes to go out of homeroom. I hide my grin from everybody in the classroom.

"Wow, if you were aiming for her. That was awesome. What prompted that?" Dave asks me in a whisper.

"My aim is pretty good, ain't it?" I ask him as we get up to go to biology.

"Vampires? That was the best you could come up with?" he says.

"I spend my weekend with a vampire. My mamma's ex boyfriend and my godfather. But you cannot tell a soul. And I will know if you do." I tell him. He nods his head cautiously.

"He's gonna come?" he asks. I snort.

"Not even I am gonna come." I say

"Come on, after that you have to go after her!" he tells me.

"I'd do it in a more creative way." I say to him.

"Oh, Le Jude is up to something!" he says a bit louder than necessary. Elisha and Piper look back towards us, both of them glare nastily at me. I ignore their thoughts and wink at Dave.

"Hey, girls, see something you like?" I say. One looks at me disgusted, the other one did understand me and looks at the eye candy that is Dave. _Is she letting us ogle at her boyfriend? _… Nasty.

"No…" Elisha says, not really meaning it.

"No, not me" Piper says, but she does.

"Oh, okay" I say.

They walk a bit ahead trying to put some distance between us. I cup a hand to my mouth and enjoy a laugh.

"I am unsure whether the influence of a vampire is good or not on you" Dave says. I roll my eyes.

"Oh, let it be, I'm horny." I ask.

"Let it be?" he asks. I shrug. He got me.

"You're weird today… Did you drink blood or do V or something?" he asks me. Ew, no.

"No, Dave." I say sweetly. "Nothing wrong with me except that I want sex." I say, did I really mean that?

"Okay, no, that's not it. But I am not allowed to say it. I am trying to cope here and nothing makes sense and exams are just around the corners, but I cannot deal with all of this shit." I explain as ambiguously as I can.

"Sure" he says, a bit disappointed that I do not trust him with this. Gee, if he knew how much I hide from him.

"I'm sorry, it's not my secret to tell" I say to him.

"Okay, brief me on the last history chapter, I did not have time to read all of it" I smile. Off course he did not. I summarize most of the book and share a few things that Jade Lily told me. He listens, but too quickly, we arrive in biology class.

As I turn on my computer, I see a screen prompting me for my account or Bills, I had forgotten about that. I click on mine. Judith Merlotte, Bill had typed that in I just might have to change it to Judy M.S., looks and sounds better too. His read William Compton. I will change that too later.

Dave is peering down on my tablet as he takes out his handheld computer. I think it is pretty cool, but I take my gadget anytime over his. I write big.

"Oh, someone got pretty comfortable with you." He says. "Why did he set up an account?" he asks.

"Apparently he will be staying indefinitely." I say.

"Oh, all the more fun. Can I meet him? Is he straight?" he asks. I muffle a giggle.

"He is obsessed with Mamma." I tell him. "Sure, you can meet him." I say, unsure if he can.

"Good morning class" Mrs. Norris enters and I stop chatting and pay attention.

By lunch I had lost Dave, I have honors chem while he has honors physics. We are more alike than we care to admit, not just because we are gay. I go the cafeteria and see Lyn talking to some guy. She is quite straight, but, oh well, I have my fantasies.

"Sean, stop it." She says, I look and see that he is kinda pushing too much for a kiss. They are standing just before the line to get served, but they are both in their own world.

"Come on, Lyn, we have talked about this." Whatever this is, he is holding her waist like I would like to hold it. I fail to notice that his hands are a bit too rough on her.

"I know, but." She says, I think she notices me looking attentively. I look away and pretend to be consumed listening to the conversation of two girls that are standing in front of me.

"I need to go to the bathroom." She excuses herself from him. I wait like half a minute before going after her. I go to the bathroom and wash my hands slowly and cautiously. I know she is in one of the stalls. Crying.

After a short while, she emerges wiping her tears with a bit of toilet paper. I look up at her when she gets out, but then focus back on my lathered hands.

"It's Judith, right?" she asks me. I am surprised.

"Judy, yeah." I say. "I am sorry about this morning." I say.

"For what? The vampire comment?" she says. "Believe, it was on everybody's mind, you simply had the guts to say it." Boy do I know about it being in everyone's mind.

"Do you know any vampires?" I ask her.

"Yes, my great grandfather is a vampire. He is one of the few that are from the area." I do a small check list of the seven names I know. There are two registered vampires in Washington that came here from Asia.

"Oh, wow." I say. "Do you see him often?" I ask. She nods.

"Yeah, he had to leave us for a while, but as soon as he could, he returned to us. Rather, he returned to my father when the vampires came out of the closet. He did not remember him." She says. I wanna hug her. She is spilling to me in the girls bathroom.

"Well, I just found out my godfather is a vampire." I tell her. Not too many details, I am playing it safe.

"Really? Can that be done?" she asks me.

"Apparently so." I say.

"I don't even have a godfather." She says.

"Well, you have a great grandfather." I try to say politely. She laughs. Score two.

"If you don't mind me asking, what was that with Sean?" I ask trying to be soft and polite about it.

"You saw that?" she sniffles.

"Me and half the school." I say, with a sigh, because I know it was ugly.

"He says I'm a dyke because I do not want to have sex yet." She says. I stop my eyes from popping.

"Personally, I would take no offense in my preference, let them think whatever they want to think. And I am scared to death of STDs and pregnancy, no matter what medical breakthroughs are happening." I tell her, hey, as long as we are being honest.

"I guess that is part of it. I know he sleeps around a lot, but he is being nice to me." I restrain myself from saying nice like just outside.

"I guess" I merely say as I take a cloth towel to clean my hands from a sanitizer that had just finished its cycle.

"Who am I kidding? He is shit, asides from good looking, he could take a hike, but I care too much about my reputation." She says. I had not seen that coming.

"I don't have a reputation to care about, I am always moving." I share with her.

"Do you keep in touch with people you have met in other places?" Only with my ex-girlfriend.

"One or two." I say. "You know how it goes, out of sight, out of mind." I state, she nods.

"Yeah," she says, she has stopped crying, but her porcelain nose is still a bit red. "You are so different from your sister." Not the time to compare us.

"What makes you say that?" I ask with a smile.

"You like to listen to people. Delia is always talking about herself, and is proud of… what she is." She says.

"Well, I may not be a were like her, but Delia is not that egotistical. Maybe you just do not know her too well." I say with care, I do not want to ruin what we have just built.

"Yeah," she says. "Still, thanks for listening." She says. I give her a small smile.

"You feel better?" I ask rhetorically, I knew she did, her thought were much less disperse now, and she was breathing normally.

"Much" she smiles.

"You're welcome then." I smile genuinely.

"So, are you and that David guy an item?" she asks. Dumb question.

"Dave?" I say unbelieving.

"Yeah, I always see you with him." She shares. I bend my head at an angle.

"Well, he's gay. I am quite certain he is gay." Just as much as I know I am.

"Oh." She says.

"And I think an item would mean that we are something that the rest of the school acknowledges and gossips about. So no." I say. "And I am sorry if this might be a shocker, but I'm a lesbian." I say. Might as well put it out there.

"Oh" I do not like the sound of that oh.

"Yeah. I'm not sorry, I am glad you feel better now." I say to her. Yeah yeah, call me sentimental, I do not care. I start to leave.

"I am curious." She says. Excuse me?

"Excuse me?" I say.

"I have only had boyfriends, but I have always thought that being with a girl would be… better." She finishes.

"Well, if you're every interested, I'm here" I say. I smile a little. Score three.

"Well, I do not have a date for the prom" she says back quickly. Whoa. My smile turns into a dumbstruck grin

"Why not?" I say.

"It's a date." She tells me. I had not expected this turn out when I followed her in.

"Do you want to go out this weekend? Before the prom?" I say. The word prom sounds foreign in my mouth.

"Sure. Here, I'll give you my email." She takes out a chip from her necklace and I take out my tablet mechanically. I import the email from the chip and that is that.

"I'll drop you a line then." I say. I stop smiling, though on the inside I still am.

"That will be lovely." She comes towards me and gives me a small kiss in the cheek. She walks out. I follow suit, surprised.

"See you later" I say, coming back to earth.

"Definitely." She says with a smile. I make my way to where the food is almost up and go to sit with Piper, Bastian, Erika and, of course, Dave.

"Where were you?" Erika asks me. I swallow.

"In the bathroom" I say.

"Were you doing naughty things in the bathroom?" Bastian kids around. I glare at him

"Oh yes, I just had a huge orgasm thinking of you" I say acidly. He is taken aback and goes back to the veggies he does not want that are in his plate.

I eat quickly because I know lunch hour is almost up. I notice Dave giving me a sideways glance but ignore him. Erika and Piper are deep in conversation about the prom and who they are going with.

Bastian finally finishes picking on the broccoli and sweet potatoes. He settles the fork and looks at me.

"Hm?" I say as nicely as I can with my mouth all stuffed.

"You want my veggies?" he says. I nod. He pushes the plate towards me.

"Thanks" I say. I only take the food that I want, not everything that is on display. I know he only takes the veggies because he knows I always get up for seconds of those. He is a nice guy.

"Oh, I have not done the econ homework!" Dave remembers when Piper says something about it.

"Get to it" I say to him. He fishes his handheld out quickly and starts writing and typing with one hand.

The bell rings as we start to get up to go to the last period. Bastian and I have double Art, while the other three were heading to economics.

We split at the end of the hall, art class is in the other building.

"So, today we have to finish the oil paint project." I nod. Unfortunately, yes and I am nowhere near finished.

"Yep, only tests next week" I say.

"N.E.T.s" he says. I laugh. "Are you going to go to the prom?" wait one second, I had to check where this is going.

_Please go with me to prom, please, please, this is the best time to ask, when Dave is not around, because him and her are inseparable, beats me why he has not asked her. Oh, please say yes. Please say yes to both my questions. _Okay, I should not have done that.

"Actually, I am not sure if I will be around for it." I say. "My parents are talking about moving again."

"Really?" I nod sadly. I did not want to leave either.

"Yeah, they have been talking for a few months now." I say.

"Where to?"

"Central America"

"That's pretty far."

"It's warm."

"So, if you are still around for prom, would you go with me?" he says.

"Bastian, I am sorry to tell you this under the circumstances, and I really want you to know that it is not my mean way of saying no" I say. He braces himself.

"I'm a lesbian" I say. I have said it to two different people today.

"You are?" he says.

"Yes, I have an ex-girlfriend in Ohio, and, well, I have simply never liked boys." I say sincerely. He is completely let down.

"Are you going to prom at all?" he says. I shrug.

"I am not sure" I say.

"Well, if you are around, can we go just as friends?" he asks. I nod, not knowing what I am doing.

"Unless some girl asks me" I say to him.

"Sure"

The class is working independently, so I went to sit by my booth. Bastian was kinda close nearby, but he did not bother me at all during class.

I opened my shields a bit too hear him. _Wow, what a waste, but I guess that I kinda saw it coming. She prefers to hang with boys like Dave, and she never has kissed any guy that I know of._ I relax a bit. He'll be all right.

"This needs to be done today" Mrs. Stromm says to me. I nod. "If you are not done by three, you may still until four thirty, no later than that." I nod.

"Thanks" I say and keep working.

"Make sure it is done by then" she says. I concentrate hard. I finished my coat of paint. Then a take a minute to decide what exactly I visualized going into this work. The vines around the left and down border went to wrap a blooming flower, and it was just sunset in the horizon. A bit of water from a faraway ocean was just covering the last glimpse of sunlight. You can find the contours of a womans face in the clouds, and there is a shadow of a hand reaching in towards it all. I have been working on it for two months. I darkened the shadow and gave more light to the flower, making it seem as if fairy dust was coming out of it.

"You staying?" Bastian asked me while he crossed his messenger bag over himself. I nod.

"Yes, I am almost done" I say. He takes a glance at it.

"It's amazing" he says. I thank him and go back to working the shadow in the vines.

"Is that you in the clouds?" he asks.

"No, it's Mamma" I say. He nods.

"Wwant me to stay behind with you?" he says. He has a thought or two about how to change my mind about boys. I shake my head a bit.

"Don't worry, I have to get to work after this anyways." I say. He takes his leave and goes out. Only two other of the twenty five in the class are staying behind like me.

I was so wrapped into my work that I did not notice my cell phone vibrating until it erupted in sound with an old song. Its funny how many people have never heard some songs. This one is called Falling Slowly.

I answer it immediately.

"Hey, Judy, where are you?" Delia asks.

"Art" I say, not bothering to put down my brush as I talk to her.

"Still?" she says. I nod.

"Have to finish today. Then I will be late to chess and then late to work. I have to hurry." I say. She nods.

"Okay, talk to you later then," she says and hangs up. She is probably by the chess room trying to catch me going to it.

I look at my work one last time. Suddenly, the image of Sophie-Anne fills my head and I know that I can place her face in my clouds. It's not difficult.

I barely make it to chess. Willy, the team captain, looks at me warily. I explain myself.

"Don't sweat it, half the guys skipped since it is the second to last week of school. Many are cramming" he says. I smile.

"Thanks, Willy" I say to him. He blushes a bit when I smile at him. I so could have done without that. He is just not used to female attention, being a gay geek. His boyfriend is on the team too, and we go to state tournaments and so. I went once, we had fun.

"I'll see you around" he says. He's two years higher than me, he is actually a senior. I smile again and make to leave. If he blushed again, I do not notice.

I make it to work on time, somehow. Meela is just signing out, she says it would lie in my shoulders if I was late, she was not going to stay a minute over time.

Being a secretary is not really though. I picked up the phone and relayed messages, either through email or by connecting the call. I had time to do a bit of homework when it is not ringing. Only two people come it in person, it is a lot.

"Good evening, how may I help you?" I ask. It is already dark out, I get out at eight, the shifts are short and it allows for the people to have a better presentation for the company.

"Yess" he says. "I am looking for Merlotte"

* * *

Yes, hang in there.

Thank you all for reading! I will love to see more reviews, when i see the amount of hits compared to reviewers, it makes me sad. :( so please review! I'll post ASAP.


	8. Fast thinking

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Charlaine Harris, i'm just playing around.

AN: italics is thoughts, and i did try to not have so many this time. I love your comments, that helps me improve, to thanks to everybody that has helped!

Also, anyone up for betaing?

Thanks for reviewing: Mayra (filler chapter... i had so much fun with that), DD (if you're a junkie... does that make me a pusher? lol, thanx), lace249 and le jazz hot (you'll see in a second)

I'm introducing somebody you'll like, if it sounds more like the movies than the series I apologize.

* * *

Ch.8

* * *

_Be curious, not fearsome. _

* * *

Why is he looking for me? Curiosity fills me up, for a second, then the fear seeps in. I push it back ignoring the impulse to say: What do you want with me, I hold still. I check the phone listing and look up at him.

"I am sorry, we have nobody here by that name" I say.

"It iss a young woman that workss here, I think sshe would not have her own line. Maybe she iss an asssistant?" he asks. He rolls his S's a lot. He's deadly pale, obviously a vampire, and a large crooked nose. I had to get away

"Oh, I know who you are talking about" I say. Something tells me that I should lie deliberately to this guy.

"Yess?" he purs. I smile a little. His greasy hair moves with his small nod.

"Yes. Winona Bondu Merlotte. She has the shift after mine, and I am almost up" I say and smile. Yes, I smile a lot when I am nervous, not that I would accept it front of Bill.

"Good. I sshall wait." He says and sits down.

I email Regina quickly, telling her to be late, that I had to fill in another half an hour, anything. I get up to leave.

"You leave the desk unattended?" he says. I remove my shields and look deep into him.

_I need the girl, they want her, she is of importance. She is valuable, they said, her and her family._ I smile a bit, _If I had had a picture of the girl… I am hungry. _

"Yes, it is the next girl's responsibility the time that she is away. Sorry, it's just the company's politics." I say. That is not a lie.

"Fine." Now I am sure that he is a vampire. I feel something cold about him, and his thoughts are a bit slow and disconnected, like Bills. And he was thinking about eating blood. I make sure to take in a good mental image of him to tell Mamma and Bill about.

"Nice to meet you" I say with a smile and go on my way to the back office to clock out. I think to tell something to security, but what exactly would I say?

No, I get out quickly and get in a bus to get home quicker.

I still cannot shake the feeling that I am being followed. My cell phone rings.

"Judy?" asks a male voice I know too well.

"What's up, Dave?" I ask, my voice cool.

"Is it true you turned down Bastian for the prom?" he asks. I nod.

"Yeah, I told him the truth. He said he wondered why you had not asked me." I joke.

"Ha ha. Still, I thought you would like to go to prom, no matter who with." He replies. I roll my eyes behind my eyelids.

"Actually, I do" I say. "I want to go with you and all your sexy assets" I say. He laughs on the other end of the phone.

"Listen, call my house and tell them that I have a shadow, they will understand." I whisper as soon as his laughter fades.

"What? Are you okay?"

"Yes, I want to do that too" I say sexily.

"See you tomorrow, Dave." I say and hang up. I hope he will call.

I take out my small vanity mirror from my bag. I smack on some lip treatment and press a finger to accommodate my unruly hair behind my ears. I do a quick glance to each end of the bus, pretending to be busy with my hair, but actually looking for anything mysterious. I do not know. I try my other option, the one that is always my last resort. I open my shields. Voices fill my head immediately.

_Water the plants, feed the cat, call … Maybe if Jackie gave me another chance … Stupid screw up … Merlotte, a girl with the last name Merlotte, her parents know well how to hide themselves. … I should not have had sex with him yet … Every day it's the same, where has chivalry gone? … I should have checked with Sookie before coming …_ I analyze through everything. There is a Were in the bus, and two vampires, one friend, one foe. I follow the thread of the one thinking about me, it leads me to a tall and skinny man, someone that would not last in a wrestling match. Okay, I will avoid him at all costs. I follow the other thread. A young soccer mom wearing neon orange sweatpants with a rainbow sweatshirt, she has highlighted blonde hair and seems to be deep in thought. _Eric will know that I am here. He will ask me to report. I will tell Sookie to tell me nothing then._ I chose my movements carefully.

We make a stop and five people get up to leave. I make to leave, but instead sit besides the soccer mom. _Who is this girl? The bus is nearly empty, why sit here? _She thinks. I ignore that and go back the lanky vampire in the back. _Shit, did she get out here? I should have gotten out. Oh, wait, she is still here. Why is she sitting with that woman?_.

"Oh. Shit" I say. This earns me that the soccer mom raises an eyebrow in her pale face.

"Who are you?" she says. I look deep into her eyes, connecting with her thread of thought again.

"Okay. Short version. Stackhouse junior. Skinny tall guy in the back is trying to find me. Please help me. I already called home, Pam" I tell her, rummaging her mind for a few seconds before. Her eyes widen. She turns to the man in the back.

"Oh let him try to get you" she says. I blink at her. "Is the next one your stop?" she asks. I nod.

"Go. I'll be right behind you." She says. I am not sure she understood me, but a single glimpse to her mind tells me what she is about to do. She is actually looking forward to killing this vampire.

The bus pulls to a stop and I go towards the front and get down. I do not look back and start walking in the opposite direction that I would usually take to go home. I do not look back, but know what is happening

_(LANKY VAMPIRE) Maybe she did trick Devon, but not me. She does seem the right age, and well, if she is not the girl, I can have some fun with her. _

_(PAM) Oh, yeah, I will enjoy this. Just wait for it… he will go for her in just a second. _

_(LANKY VAMPIRE) I have to grab her quick…_

_(PAM)Wait for it. Brace yourself. _

_(LANKY VAMPIRE)So, bite or assault? Bite can be so much more fun._

_(PAM) Walk calmly, _she tells herself._. I'm ready_.

I hear a whoosh followed by a second whoosh. I turn just to see soccer mom grabbing lanky guy from his arm and pushing him to the floor with an unknown force. Her fangs are out in a second and she is completely on top of him, feeding.

"I did not mean that!" I say. Neither of them look at me as they struggle with each other. The other guy is wasting his time, Pam pulls a stick of wood that was just a bit thicker than a pencil from her plastic shoes and stabs him in the heart. He starts to go all viscous and become a slimeball right there in front of me.

I close my eyes and try to not be sick. Soccer mom dusts some ash and muk from her pants as she sits up.

"Stackhouse Junior is it?" she says. I am looking disgustingly at the corpse disintegrating in the sidewalk. She watches it with pleasure alongside me. Once I recuperate myself, I talk to her again.

"It's Judith Merlotte, actually, but I needed something that you would understand and he would not. He is looking for someone named Merlotte. That someone being me" I took a deep breath. She looks at me.

"How did you know my name?" she asks.

"I picked it up from my Mamma" I lie.

"How did you know it was me?" she asks. I shrug

"Are you as skilled as your mother Sookie?" she asks.

"I don't know what you are talking about. Come, I have some blood at my house if you want any." I say and side step from the corpse to go home.

"Is it not this way?" she asks.

"No, I went the wrong way on purpose. I did not want to reach my house with that behind my back." I say.

"Resourceful" she says.

Just then, there is another whoosh and I see Uncle Bill in front of me.

"You are one hard girl to track, young lady." He scolds me.

"I'm sorry, Un-

"Bill Compton." Pam interrupts me.

"What are you doing here?" he asks her.

"Might as well ask you the same thing" she says. "You would not have left without informing your Sheriff, now would you?" she asks suspiciously.

"He believes me to be elsewhere." He says stiffly.

"Oh, does he now?" she promptly inquires.

"Okay… as much as you want to see Eric's face when you tell him," they both turn their heads to me. "Good, that got your attention. I want to get home." I ask.

Faster than I could say bump, Bill picks me up and with vampiric speed goes back to our house. He deposits me in the small couch in the living room where Mamma and Delia are

fidgeting.

"Whoa," I exclaim. "I will want a heads up for that next time." I say. The bell rings.

"Did you know Pam was coming?" Bill asks Mamma.

"No, she never tells me when she is coming" she shrugs.

Bill makes a sound between a hiss and a snarl. He opens the door for Pam.

"How nice of you" Pam says to him acidly.

"Come inside" Mamma says. Why did she not just come in?

"Thank you, _Sookie_." She says, emphasizing her name.

"What happened?" Mamma looks between Bill, Pam and me: deciding that whoever speaks first will get off lighter than the rest.

"I was being followed, as I told Dave to tell you. Did he call?" Delia nods, she is perched on the edge of her seat.

"He sounded scared, he did not even have a clue what the message you asked him to relay meant" she says. That is exactly what I was aiming for.

"Something weird happened at work. After I left, I felt a presence follow me. I knew that somebody was watching me. So I listened around. There was one were and two vampires in

the bus. One was after me." I start to tell.

Bill is looking at me with too much attention. I look at him, he understands and looks around too.

"Anyways, I had tricked the other vampire in the office into thinking that the girl he was looking for was due to open her shift in a few minutes. Then I left. A different one followed me, probably just following his instinct." Just then, my stomach made a hungry sound. I ignored it, but nobody else did.

"Did you have lunch?" Mamma asks worried. Delia snaps up from her seat and goes to the kitchen. She moves a few stuff around and then comes back with a mini pizza that she stuffed in the nanowave. I eat it hungrily.

"Wow" Pam says. I look at her, not knowing what the hell is so interesting. I chew slowly when I realize I am under her scrutinizing gaze.

"What?" I say as soon as I swallow. She shrugs and then looks at Mamma.

"So, Sookie, this is where Bill is hiding now."

"I am not hiding" Bill retaliates.

"Tsk. Tsk." Pam makes a sound with her mouth.

"Pam, get over it" Sookie says. "What brings you here, anyways?" she says.

"I was going to call from the restaurant if you were not there, but then this one came up to me." She says, jerking her head towards me.

"This one has a name" I taunt.

"Yes, Judith Merlotte Stackhouse." She says. I like the way she says it. "and you ought to be thankful" she reprimands me.

"Oh, off course, because I did not ask you to help me, you just saw me in trouble." I say. "I had been taking the reins of the situation, I knew either Mamma or Uncle Bil would be coming soon, if anything, you just sped things up." I argue.

"Spunk." She says. "I enjoy it" she smiles. "My questions have not been answered yet." She announces to Sookie and Bill. They look at each other guiltily.

"Oh, where is Merlotte, Sookie? Does your husband know that you are with a … house guest?" she says looking at Bill.

It happens too quickly for me to figure it out, Delia jumped on Pam, and since she was quite taller and stronger than her, pushed her to the ground. But Pam shoved her off just as quickly. Bill then tries to hold Pam, but Mamma screams for them all to stop.

"Sam died, Pam. Behave yourself, Delia. Let her go, Bill." I am still chewing and barely comprehend what just happened.

Bill releases Pam softly, but he still snarls at Pam. She at least has the decency to look down with shame.

"I did not know" she says.

"And we plan to keep it that way" Mamma says. "Nobody else has to know that Sam is dead. Not even Eric." She says.

"You are no fun" Pam says. She then turns back to Bill again. I look at her confused.

"I do not understand. You help me and then you pick on sore spots with all of them?" I ask. She gives me a small nod and a smile.

"You see, they are being secretive. Eric does not like not knowing things" she says.

"Maybe he can understand that somethings he does not need to know" I say in my bittersweet voice.

"Witty" she says. "She would make a good vampire." Pam tells Mamma.

"Ew, over my dead body." I say.

"I can arrange that" Pam replies.

"Do not worry, I will not let her touch you" Bill says. I am wondering how much he is able to do about that. I saw her take out the other vampire.

"She just killed a vampire" I tell them.

"What?" Mamma rounds on her.

"He was targeting her." Somehow, she points with her eyebrow, I had never seen anyone do that before. "She asked me for help. She identified me." The whole room is quiet for a few seconds, and she is staring at me. Mamma is staring at her, and Bill is switching between us three.

"I wonder how she knew me" she says.

"I talked to her about you, and Eric, and almost any other vampire that has shaped my life, when Bill showed up two nights ago." She says.

"Oh, then there is no… telepathy going on? She knew I was a vampire before we even spoke." She says.

"Oh, please, like it is not easy to identify you" I say. Then again, I had no idea Bill was a vampire until he said so himself. Is it something about the body temperature? The way they send out their thoughts?

"No." she says, her eyes still planted on mine. I kept her stare. "I know only one person that can tell if a vampire is a vampire just by looking at them." She says, she turns her head slowly to Mamma. "She says they have a glow"

"Oh, please" Mamma says. "She is telepathic just as me. Happy now?" Mamma snaps. "I know I have to be careful what I tell you lest you say something to Eric I do not want him to know."

"It is still pertinent why vampires were after Judith tonight" Bill interrupts in the nitch of time.

"The other one is called Devon." I say. Bill looks at me asking my permission. I take my tablet out of my bag mechanically. "I picked it out of the other vampires head." I say.

"She can read vampire minds?" Pam says.

"Yes, I know what you are thinking" I say, too bored to be cryptic anymore.

She seemed a bit curious, maybe more scared than curious. What exactly did that mean? Should I be frightened of that look?

She laughs.

"Oh, I cannot wait to tell Eric" she says. "Oh my. I can imagine her in a room with you and Eric" she says to Mamma and starts giggling, then full out laughing. Bill is at the computer and ignores her. However, if looks could kill the undead, Pam would be six feet under from my mother's leer.

"I do not find that a bit amusing" she says. Ouch.

"Found it" Bill says a bit less inclined to interrupt, but does so anyways.

"Devon West. 326. Is this the man?" Bill turns the screen for me to see a picture.

"Yes, that is him." I say. "I lied fluently with him and got out of my job fast." I inform.

"Smart girl" Bill compliments me.

"I guess" I say. Delia chooses that moment to release a big yawn. Without realizing it, I catch it too.

"You must be tired, and you two have classes tomorrow" Mamma says to us. She is considering asking us to go rest, but reconsiders.

"Honey, anything else you want to eat?" Mamma offers me, I shake my head, the veggie filled pizza with sausage and pepperoni was more than enough for me.

"Why were they targeting her?" Delia asks. I wonder that myself.

"Dunno" I said.

"That is a good question." Pam points out. "Maybe it has something to do with this one hiding here." She points with her eyebrow again.

"I am not hiding" he replies from behind my computer. He is still looking for something.

"Maybe somebody heard about me…" Mamma starts, but did not finish her train of thought. I manage to keep out.

"Maybe they are looking for Sam, thinking he is missing or hiding instead of dead. They want him to come out. Makes sense that some shifters would ask the vampires for help, so as to throw you of their backs." Bill says. It sounds twisted and complicated, but plausible.

"Are there many shifters here?" I ask.

"I am aware of two different were packs in Washington," Mamma shares. "The deer pack and the bear pack." She says. "They have their issues between themselves, but have mostly let Sam be." She says.

"Shifters, however, are a different topic" she explains. We are all playing close attention. Even Pam.

"Pam, there's blood in the kitchen" Mamma says, she takes her cue and leaves. She does not want her to know.

"Sam was given away at birth, his foster parents did not understand him. He never met his real parents, and the general population of shifters has never said they know anything about it. Maybe he is one of those rare shifters that are produced by humans, he never really knew, and that is why he never felt that he is part of the shifters, never associating with them directly unless necessary" she shares. "Hmm. If they think that he is up to something, they would be discreet about targeting his family." She says.

"So, you're saying that Dad's own people are turning against him because he is missing?" Delia says.

"If they think that he is hiding from them, they are trying different measures to bring him out" I say. Mamma nods her head.

"I am surprised they did not come after me" she shares.

"Good news is that you are okay, Judith." Bill says. I have to agree.

"What will we do?" Delia asks.

"There's not much we can do without arising suspicion." Mamma says with her heart in her mouth.

"So?" I ask.

"Do us a favor," Bill says to Delia and me. "Stick together, you have an advantage if you are together rather than if you are alone." Bill asks. I agree, and nod my head as Delia thinks about it for a second.

"I'll do anything to make sure nothing happens to her" she says. I smile.

"Good" Bill says looking at us with a small smile. "I cannot be there for you always, even though I wish I could" he says. He means it too.

"Can I come in now?" Pam asks.

"Yeah" Mamma calls to her. Bill picks up the computer that he had set aside.

"Was any of these the one that you killed?" Bill asked her.

"Yes, the fourth one in the first column." That was him all right. "William Quills" she said.

"Sounds European," I say.

"Says here that he is from 1700s Scotland" Pam says.

"Wow" I say. "That's old" I say.

"He is not nearly as old as I am" Pam says.

"How old are you?" Delia asks her.

"Adele!" Mamma scorns her, I had no idea asking a vampire his or her age was impolite.

"Sorry, didn't know I should not ask that" she said honestly.

"I am roughly 400, though I still keep the good looks from when I was nineteen." She says with a furtive smile. Mamma definitely knew the story here, but neither was going to share much else.

"You could probably go to the prom and pass a student" Delia says jokingly. I don't think she appreciated nor understood the joke. But I felt weird with that remark. My heart definitely was accelerating, because when Delia said that my mind went to Lyn.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" Bill is right beside me, I guess he notices my change in heartbeat or something. I nod.

"What's up with you?" Delia asks me. I consider telling her what happened with Lyn in the morning but that would lead to me wanting to make her blush, and then to the lunch… I decide to keep quiet.

"Nothing," I lie. Bill says nothing, but Pam arches an eyebrow.

"I should go study" I say, taking the computer that Bill is offering me. I give him a tiny smile followed by a yawn.

"Me too" Delia says. Mamma allows us to go, and then starts a conversation about how concerned she is about us with Bill and Pam.

"They do know how to take her of themselves, how Judith handled events today proves that." Bill says.

"I don't know about the older one, though" Pam says. Delia rolls her eyes and growls at that. If Pam hears, she ignores it. Mamma is pulling at her hair, unaware that we are both still listening in.

"I need a drink" she says, then gets up, with the other two following to the kitchen.

"You should not eavesdrop." Bill tells Pam.

"Well, since I was not in the same room, I do not need to tell Eric." She says, "When I snoop the information is mine alone. Sookie knows that." She says. Bill huffs, but enters the kitchen behind her.

"What was that?" Delia asks. I shrug "When Bill asked you again if you were okay, I sensed the change too." She tells me. I decide against my better judgment to tell her.

"This morning Lyn came by to say something about the prom. I asked her if it was okay to bring a vampire, jokingly" Okay… that was mostly true.

"That's it? You asked Lyn a question and the reference to it made you skip a beat?" Delia asks. I nod, unwilling to explain further.

"O-kay" she says. I have to change the subject deliberately.

"It made quite an effect on the class" I make up.

"Oh, will you show me a picture of Ethan?" I ask. She looks at me knowing that I am changing the subject, but gives in no later than five seconds, because she really likes him. I smile. I win.

"Fine, come" she tells me to go to her room and I follow. She shows me a picture of a guy with wiry brown hair, a nice smile, rugged arms and a large nose. His eyes are so brown they are almost black, and he has a bit of facial hair.

"Nice" I lie. What exactly did she see in him? "How old is he?" I ask politely.

"Nineteen" she says. I raise an eyebrow. "Yeah, three years older than me, so what?" she says.

"I did not say anything about his age" It is his ugliness that I am uncomfortable with. But then again, maybe that is what an attractive guy should look like. I just do not care.

"Then what is it?" she says. I lie again, I say that he is simply not my type, no specifics.

"Fine." She snaps and shows me her desktop instead. A backdrop of a new it band is in the background. Winter Rose I think is the name, they are heavy metal.

"I have to go study" I tell her and leave.

"Is it true that you turned down Bastian for the prom?" she asks me the second I reach the doorknob to pull her door closed behind me.

I look at her unbelieving.

"Who told you that? I ask" she cocks her head towards her computer.

"Sandra, France, Lily, Georgia, Erika." She says going through all the IMs that are currently popping like crazy on her screen.

"Ugh, its widespread." I groan.

"Yes, so you better tell me." She asks.

"I did. Because I already had a date" I inform her.

"Ooh… Who?" she asks.

"None of your business." I tell her with a smile.

"Its not almost gay Dave, right?" I laugh.

"Off course not. He's gay." I say.

"Who then?" I say nothing.

"It's a secret. And I also have a date this Saturday, so I imagine it will have to be someplace where we can be together but apart so we actually listen to Bill's advice" I say.

"Sure, we could go to the mall and the movies. You can hear me thinking and I can smell you." She says with a laugh. I agree.

"Sounds good" I say and then pull the door closed.

I sigh when I am on the other side. How will I tell her about Lyn? How will I ask Lyn in the first place? She'll say that it's too public.

I decide to write to her.

* * *

Okay, i wrote a bit about Lyn and Judy, which is mostly fun but will not obscure when the real action starts. Do i publish that or mark it as a spin off and go directly to the more exciting bits, which i have to write, so it would take some more time. Anyways, please drop me a line so I can improve. I have tests, so give me a weeks grace for next update, i promise during the holidays i will post less sparodically and more consistently.


	9. Attractive? Easy?

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Charlaine Harris, i'm just playing around.

AN: italics is thoughts, and i did try to not have so many this time. I love your comments, that helps me improve, to thanks to everybody that has helped!

Also, anyone up for betaing?

Thanks for reviewing: DD (desesperado!) and Billsbedroom (i still laugh whenever i see your penname)

* * *

Ch.9

* * *

_Be curious, not fearsome._

* * *

"Curiosity is not a sin… But we should exercise caution with our curiosity" (1) So, there is the good and the bad about being curious. Thing is, there is unwarranted fear and things that are simply there to harm you. I truly had no good reason to be afraid of any vampire after my impression of the first one I met. However, I was not completely naïve for it. I did not shake of the feeling of being observed simply for curiosity, I knew that something was up and did not ignore it. The bad side of curiosity tends to make us learn about things we do not really want to, or makes ourselves go into deeper trouble than we already are in.

I am glad I found Pam. I wonder if she is still here today, does Mamma have two coffins or light tight spaces or whatever?, I wonder.

I turn in my bed, unable to try to get a few more minutes of sleep in. Also, I try to remember where that phrase is from, but I can't. Was it a literature book? Maybe it was a song…

I shut my eyes for a second and allow the memory of the feeling of Lyn's kiss on my cheek to take over me. I sigh pleased. I wonder if she already replied to my email, I did send it late yesterday.

I push off my mattress and whip my tablet from my bag. Three seconds later I am checking my inbox. There it is!

**Judy—**

**I'd love to go see 'To Lose Control' with you, do you know it is based on a book? A really good one too.**

**No, I don't care that the mall will be full. There will be plenty else to notice than us. XD**

**See you tomorrow at school,**

**Lyn**

"Wow" I breath. I have actually landed myself two dates in less than a week. Wow.

I reread the short letter a few more times, completely thrilled by what I found. I love the laugh she typed in.

I jolt. My alarm clock sounds. Now it decides to make noise? I leave my tablet on my table as I go back to turn it off and make the bed.

I follow my routine and meet Delia downstairs.

"Who are you going to prom with?" she questions me, she is hoping to catch me unexpectedly, in order for me to tell her. I look at her knowingly.

"I'll try later" she says and continues with her bacon and eggs. I rummage the fridge and produce a few strawberries and raspberries. I eat them with yogurt.

Delia finishes up as I am still eating and excuses herself. I just nod and up she goes. Soon after, I go upstairs to get my things too.

As I climb down the stairs with everything I need in tow, Delia is outside in the front door with her light sweater on.

"So, did you talk to Ethan last night?" I ask her. She looks at me quizzically, making a fast decision

"Who are you going to the prom with?" she asks. I roll my eyes.

"Fine, I know you want to tell me and I can live without knowing, you are the one that will not give up until I tell you" I huff and look away, the bus is coming. I get in before her and sit with Dave, to pissed to return his greeting.

"What bit you?" he asks

"Delia" I snarl.

"Did she really?" he asks, kinda interested.

"Not literally, you git, she is simply getting on my nerves" I say.

"Why?" he asks.

"Because I do not want to tell her who I am going to the prom with and she insists, she is being stupidly stubborn about it"

"I thought you said you turned down Bastian." I nod

"Then who are you going with?" he asks. I give him a glance.

"Oh, it's a secret" he says. I nod to him. He then proceeds to tell me about his current date options, though he still needs the courage to ask any of them. I do not tell him that half of them have a boyfriend, and the other half are straight. Until his last two options, which sound pretty realistic to me.

"So, what was that all about yesterday?" he says. Oh, shit, what can I answer to that?

"Um, some creepy guy was following me, or I least I thought he was following me, he turned a block away from mine." Is that too farfetched?

"You can be a bit paranoid sometimes" he is gullible enough, good. I still cannot believe I managed to get a date, wait, two dates, with Lyn. I smile pretending I am listening to what Dave is talking about.

I walk in a daze through the school and only come to my senses when Mr. Edgecombe, my lit teacher, calls the class to order. I had lost Dave after homeroom, but I was sitting besides Erika, and she was more than happy to fill me in on who she wants to go the prom with. I smile a bit, noticing her pretty smile and teeth a bit more than necessary. She does not notice and I tune into the class and listen to her random comments as much as I can.

We had a break in literature, where we were supposed to find a poem we liked to analyze, but I also took some time to email Lyn back. She answerd quickly, and before know I am too distracted messaging her instead of doing the research I should be doing. Too quickly class ends.

I walk away from the class reading the message that Lyn sent me a second ago. I am too absorbed in it to notice a lot, barely enough to not bump into people.

"That's her" I hear a voice nearby me. There are a few people in the hallway. But I see my homeroom teacher with a man I had never seen before pointing at me. Shit.

I lower my glance again at my computer. I opened another window and texted Delia quickly.

There is a were with the administration trying to find us. He is in the literature hallway and headed my way. Stay calm, I'll meet you in the cafeteria soon enough and then we can get out.

I send it quickly and then go back to Lyn's message. I find that there is nothing left to say.

"Judy," Mr. Potter addressed me. I look up from my computer, as if I had just noticed the pair.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Potter" I say respectfully.

"Judy, this is Mr. Julien Norris" he tells me. I nod my head.

"Pleased to meet you" I say and offer him my right hand to shake it. He takes it and squeezes lightly.

"Girl, do you know where your father is?" he asks me, still holding my hand.

"On a business trip. He did not say when he would be back." I say calmly. If he is trying to catch my pulse change with a lie, he is so not getting any.

"You have heard nothing of him?' he asks.

"Well, he called last week" I say.

"Did he say where he was?" he asks.

"No, sir, but why do you need to know?" I ask sweetly.

"He was working for someone I know" he says. Had not Bill something about an Orson Norris? Yes he had. Maybe this guy came all the way from Louisiana too.

"I think my Dad was in Vermont." I say, trying to play clueless.

"Definitely Vermont?" I shrug, deciding that I had to know more about this guy.

"He travels a lot" I inform him as I open my shields a tiny bit.

_Did Merlotte sell us out? Did he escape? We found my brother body, but not his. And the wolves are not talking. Did the wolves take him? They say that Alcide died, too. Did they convince Merlotte of staying? I told them that coming here was not going to be productive. Well, I just hope that Crystal has better luck talking to his wife. She has a few points of leverage, I guess. No hostages yet, but as soon as Dixie gives the signal, we will. Merlotte will show himself whether he wants to or not. _

"Maybe he went to South America? I know he said something about a product placement…" by which I meant nothing at all… "in Colombia"

"Colombia, huh?" he asks. I nod.

_This kid is so stupid, she is giving me all the information I need in a silver platter. Might as well ask her if he did prefer Herveaux over Orson. _

"Okay, kid, thank you. Stay out of trouble now, okay?" he asks. I smile innocently and watch him go away. Mr. Potter looks at me curiously.

"Would to care to explain?" he asks me. I do not.

"Why would you bring him to me?" I ask.

"Well, he said that he knew you, knew your parents. He said that he is from Louisiana and a relative of yours." He says. I glare icicles at him

"Could you not see that that was one very pissed were?" I ask him. So much for smarts, Mr. Potter.

"A were, yes, pissed, no" he explains, pushing his glasses towards the bridge of his nose.

"I am going to miss the rest of the day of class" I tell him, getting a permission slip form on my tablet. I check family emergency and email it to him. His cell phone vibrates, and I consider myself excused.

"Judy!" he says to me. "Explain yourself!"

"Explain? Did you not see? He is prying information from me about my Dad. Is that not wrong enough? Or do you want to wait for something else?" I ask him. He tries to remain calm.

"Give me your computer, Judy. Are you in some kind of trouble? Is your father in some kind of trouble?" he asks. I do not give him my computer, instead I take out my headphones and call Mamma.

"You okay?" I ask her when she picks up.

"Yes. You will never guess who showed up on our doorstep today, honey!" she says loudly. I can picture her smiling to whoever is sitting in the living room and making her way to the kitchen.

"Aunt Crystal" I say, not bothering to hide my disgust.

"How…?" she asks.

"Julien Norris just visited our school" I say. "He seemed eager to know where Dad is."

"What?!" she says in a harsh whisper. I sigh, I take a few steps away from Mr. Potter so he will not overhear me next.

"It's okay, he left, I told him I thought Dad was in South America, so stick to the story. Colombia" I said.

"Young lady," she starts to scorn me, but pauses. "That just might throw everybody off." She says. "Okay. Be careful for the rest of the day, I have a feeling that they are not the ones who asked the vampires for help, they are here because they want answers. If they know that he died, they would take claim in Delia, being the closest of kin, even if she is not a panther." I nod.

"Yes ma'am" I say.

"Is she there?" she asks.

"No, we are meeting the cafeteria right about now, but I got held back." I say.

"Wait, I have an incoming call, it might be her" she says. She is setting us for conference a second later.

"Judy are you okay?" Delia asks me. I nod.

"Yeah, stupid guy wanted to know where exactly Dad was. He did not ask a lot." I say. Then Mr. Potter came closer to me.

"Delia, do not get hot headed" Mamma asks her. I have to agree.

"I won't" she replies.

"And Judy, do not tell a cover story again before clearing with me first" she says.

"Mhm" I say.

"Clear?"

"Mhm" I answer again.

"Are you with someone?" Delia realizes.

"Mhm" I reply.

"Okay, hang up, I am waiting in the cafeteria" she says.

I hang up. I stow the headphones and then the tablet.

"Judy, let me see your computer" he asks again. If he thinks that it will show anything relevant, he is wrong.

I give it to him.

"Who were you talking too?" he asks.

"My mother" I reply.

"I will only ask once more, after that I consider myself not responsible for any of this" he offers. "Are you or your family in some kind of trouble?" he asks.

I shake my head. I had to make up something.

"That guy is a distant relative, he is my cousin's family. I do not talk to my cousin or his mother, my uncle died when my cousin was less than a year old." I explain. But that tends to happen to bitten weres.

"He is looking for my father because they had a deal but he thinks my father got cold feet, which is not true" That was the only thing I could think of saying without saying too much.

"If I check, would your story be true?" I nod.

"Ask anybody" I say.

"Anything else you want to tell me?" he asks. I shake my head, but open y shields

_There is something fishy here, and I'll be damned if the school or my teaching abilities go down with this mess. I have always had a feeling that she is strange, and this just might prove it. The way she just knows things, there must be something there._ I thought I had been very careful most of the time._ Her website history might tell me something interesting._ He checks it to find nothing. I try not to smile. _Maybe her emails or her programs…_ I cover my footsteps always, and he cannot say anything about Lyn and me. Besides, he needs a password to check the content of any email.

"Fine, go along" he says after finding nothing.

"Thank you, Mr. Potter" I say. I see the tall and frustrated teacher face the wall were I had been, and decide that leaving quickly is the better option.

I erase the last sentence I had written to Lyn and replace it with something else.

I send it and stow my tablet as I reach the cafeteria. Delia is sitting with some of her friends. I giver he a meaningful glance, and nod at her question. We decide to just act normal. I get some food and go sit with my usual crowd.

The girls glare at me. Bastian is playing with his food and does not look up at me. Dave is not with them today. Actually, I have not seen him since homeroom.

"Where's Dave?" I ask amiable ignoring the girls leers.

"Why do you care so much?" they tell me. I jolt to my senses.

"Whoa, what's with the hostility?" I ask.

"He said something about physics homework when we came out of American History." Bastian mumbles without looking up from his plate. So …

Erika wastes her hate in shooting him a death stare as well. He is trying to not get involved.

"So… did you girls get invited to prom?" I ask them.

"Yes" Alexa tells me coldly.

"No" says Erika. I sensed that most of the tension in the table was from her, though Piper is helping her a lot too.

"Oh. Don't worry, you still have plenty of time." I assure her.

"Oh, it's not a matter of time. He already asked out someone else" Erika says hatefully. Okay, how does this involve me?

"Oh?" I wonder.

"Hi Judy" a voice nearby calls to me. "How's everything?" she asks. I smile despite how confused I am with Erika and Piper, not even Lyn manages to make me feel happy just now.

"Just fine… how about you?" I ask her.

"Oh, okay, I was wondering what is the name of your godfather because I told my gramps and he said he had never heard of anything like that before" Not good.

"I just call him Fred" I lie. "He's from out of state" I explain.

"Oh" she says. "So, he probably did not know anybody from here" she says.

"Can't say anything about that." I say.

"That's allright." She says, she then lingers there for a second. She seems to take in the iciness of the table and looks at me curiously.

"Want me to show you the poem I was telling you about?" she offers. Wow, that would be… something with a rock and a couple of birds? What was that old saying? Anyways, just that.

"Sure, let's go" I say and nearly jump off the table.

"I'm leaving too" Bastian says and stands beside me. We start to walk away and at a safe distance Bastian halts me.

"I swear I do not know what has gotten into them. They would not tell me." He tries to say to me.

"That's okay, Bastian" I offer to him.

"Oh, okay" he says, feeling out of place. "Bye, then, bye, Lyn" he says.

"Bye, Bastian" she says sweetly to him. I am for a moment jealous, just for a moment.

"Well, I kinda said about the poem because I sensed some tension at the table" she says to me. I smile at her.

"Thank you so much, I have no idea what has gotten into them" I say. "But show me the poem anyways." I ask.

"I'll be happy too" she says as we settle in a table just outside the cafeteria near the lounge and the entrance. I sit with her.

I have a nagging feeling about those three, and the only few words I got from them did not make any sense. _Stupid girl… has all the good ones eyeing her… she's not even that pretty… Bastian and Quentin, who else?_ I shake the thoughts away and look attentively at her.

"Are you okay?" she asks. I nod and smile.

"Just a small headache" I tell her. She opens her computer screen and types directly on it, it does not have a keyboard, nor a mouse. I had seen an ad about those. Did not find them reliable.

We spend the rest of the lunch period talking about poetry and laughing. She showed me her favorite poetess, and I showed her a few things I had written myself.

I am still in shock of how easily the conversation flows when she brings up one of the few subjects I was hoping not to talk about.

"I broke up with Sean" she tells me. Oh, shit.

"Does that make you happy?" I ask her. She smiles playfully at me

"A lot" she says. I smile back.

"Good, then" I say, but hate myself for what I am going to tell her next. "You do know that I tend to move a lot?" I told her. She looks away for a second

"Are you moving away before prom?" she asks me. I shake my head.

"We can always email" she says. I nod.

"We definitely can" I say to her and smile. There are a lot of those going on when she is around.

My computer starts ringing then. I see that it's Mamma, so I pick up.

"Hi Mamma" I say. Lyn stays quiet while I listen to her.

"Judy, come straight home after school. Do not stay for swimming, do not go to work. This is just a precaution, don't be alarmed."

"Mamma, it's the last swim practice." I try in vain to convince her. "I'll ask Delia to stay with me" I say.

"What's wrong?" Lyn mouths to me. I motion for her to give me a second.

"Judy, I need to talk to you before I go out to work." She explains.

"But swim practice ends at five and you do not leave for work until eight" I say.

"Fine, but call me back when your sister agrees" she says and hangs up. I feel the last vibe of her snapping as she hangs up on me.

"Mother troubles?" Lyn asks. I nod.

"She's being overprotective" I say, not saying anything else

"So, was William Quills friends with your great grand father?" I ask Lyn.

"Yes, he was actually a child of my grandfathers. He called him when he was to venture back to America, he has been by his side for the last decade, they are business partners, though more than once he finds himself with weird debts to other vampires that my gramps decides not to be involved in" she tells me. Is there a possibility that the other guy I slipped away from was actually Lyn's ancestor? No, he did not look oriental or anything.

But he had thought something… Is Lyn for any reason aware of this? Is she baiting me too?

Oh shit. I had to look.

_We have so much in common, why had I never thought of befriending her before? From the books to the poetry, and she even liked Marisia! I cannot wait to introduce her to Pa and Ma, Gramps, too,_ Okay, if there is something wrong, she is definitely not thinking about it right now. This is messed up.

"I have calculus" I say to them as the bell rings. She nods at me.

"I have Italian" Lyn says and gets up too.

We walk a bit in an uncomfortable silence.

"I take it you do not tell a lot of people about your great grandfather." I say, knowing that I had to go there again to make her think about her grandfather, maybe she'll think of him long enough for me to get if she's setting me up or if this is for real. I hated being suspicious, but it was simply too large of a coincidence.

I analyzed through her thoughts and words easily. There was nothing there. Absolutely nothing. She does not even know much about her grandfather's business, if he is indeed helping the shifters, he has no idea how close I am to his radar.

"You don't have to tell him about me if you don't want to" I say.

"Well, it's just new for me" she says. I smile.

"I never told my parents about my ex girlfriend. I mean, they knew her, but they never knew how close we were." I share.

"And exactly how close was that?" Lyn asks me. I pretend to blush and look down. Let's just say that there was less than a hair's length between both of us, from elbow to groin.

"We kissed a lot" I say and leave it at that.

"Do you want to kiss me?" she says. A lot.

"Yes" I say, not taking my gaze away from her eyes. "Do you?" I ask her back.

"I do too" she says with a smile. I take her hand and hold it in mine, for a few seconds.

"You have pretty hands" I say stupidly.

"Thanks" she says, blushing a bit.

"I have to go to class" I say,

"Me too" she says.

"Hey, sis!" Delia jumps in.

I immediately tense up.

"Hey, Lyn." We had dropped our hands the second she spoke.

"Who are you going to prom with?" Delia asks. I look at her.

"Sure, sure, secret" she says and then turns to Lyn.

"Has she told you? Because she won't tell me" I felt myself plummet to the floor. Dead.

"No, she's been just as secretive with me" she says, smiling towards me.

"So, how about you? Going with Sean?" Delia asks tactlessly.

"No, we broke up." She says.

"Ugh, tough break" she says. "You guys did not seem so happy with each other."

"That's tactful, Delia" I say to my sister. She looks at me.

"Rather, I broke it off" Lyn clarifies.

"What?" she says. "Oh, and Mamma told me to tell you that no swimming practice." She says.

"But she said that if you came with me it would be okay!" I say, rather whine.

"Yeah, well, she called me and I do not feel like freezing my bottom off" she says.

"Well, it's indoors, you're always warm and since when do you pass an opportunity to ogle at pretty boys?" I say to her.

"There are hot boys on the swim team?" I shake my head when she asks.

"Off course!" Not that I consider them hot, but they did have nice muscled bodies.

"You've never seen the team at practices or meets?" Lyns says to her. She shakes her head. "Now that is definitely eye candy that you have been missing on." She says to her.

"So, please, pretty please, stay?" I ask to her.

"I'll think about it." She says, completely convinced by both of us.

"Okay, great" I say.

"I have not said yes yet!" she says.

"Oh, did you?" I say. "I am pretty sure you were thinking it." I say, I did not need to listen in, her body language said yes.

"I have calculus, see you guys later!" I say, kissing both on the cheek as I make my way down the hall.

I might as well have been skipping, but I don't. I know that Lyn was not watching my skirt flow away as I did hers, but I did think about how soft her hand felt.

I daydream through most of the calculus class.

I cannot believe who I see once I am outside of class. My cousin Jonas Stackhouse looks not a day older than the last picture I have seen of him, about four years ago. He still looks twenty. Maybe he won't recognize me…

This is probably the other leverage that Julien Norris had. How do they just let them walk into the school like this?

I do a quick glance around and stick myself between Bastian and Dave, Phil is with them. I am counting on the three large bodies to help me pass without him seeing me.

Funny, if I had not seen Julien Norris earlier today I would not have even considered hiding from him.

"Merlotte?" I see him working his charms on Erika that promptly turns around and tries to locate me.

"Why are you crouching?" Dave whispers to me.

"Because my evil cousin is looking for me" I say, steering him and Bastian right in front of me.

"Does this have anything to do with your shadow yesterday?" Dave asks.

"You're being followed?" Bastian tries to understand.

"No, and no" I answer both questions. Followed would consist of one person continuously, right? This was not it.

"Then why are you hiding from your cousin?" Dave whispers again, we are still walking away cautiously. He is working his charm on the teacher to find out about me.

"Because he is mental" I say. What else? "He is my first cousin and has a stupid fixation that we date, he heard from his mother that its prom in a few days, so he crashed. I cannot believe Mamma slipped on that." I elaborate, does that make sense?

"So, why are you hiding?" Bastian asks.

"Hello!! Ten years older than me _first_ cousin that wants to date me? Besides, last time I saw him…" I broke off. Crystal nearly left my mother without a hand? My mother bit Crystal?

"There was a fight. He took his wounded mother back, but Mamma swore never to talk to them again. Off course, she kept the promise for half a year." I really hope that they believe me and do not try anything rash.

Dave looks back at me. I am not cowering or anything, I look just a bit thrown of balance. I should have expected something like this when Julien Norris left.

"You so do not look okay" Dave says. I shrug. I rub my eyes and face, walking crouched still.

Dave whispers something to Bastian, and next I know they are lifting me up between them and going inside a boy's room.

"Let me go!" I exclaim.

They go inside and drop me in the center. Ouch, that hurt. They look at me expectantly. I look at them puzzled. Dave checks that there is no one else in there, and then locks the door. Oh, shit, this is where they ask me for the truth.

"Are you Judith Merlotte?" Bastian asks me. What?

"Yes…" I answer, unsure of what they are playing at.

"When is my birthday?" Dave asks.

"December second" I say,

"When did I move here?" Bastian asks.

"Was it when you were twelve? Back four years ago?" I ask. They look at each other.

"Okay, since we already established that this is you and that somebody did not replace you. What has gotten into you the last few days?" Dave prompts.

"Oh, come on, every girl wants to have a bit of fun every now and then" I say to them. They keep staring at me. "You guys are joking, right?" Apparently not.

"First you start talking about vampires, have you not heard enough about them? Then you tell me about a 'shadow'" he actually did quotation marks in the air when he said that. "And now you're going crazy about some distant cousin?" he finishes up.

"Okay, I told you about my godfather, geeez. You can forget the whole shadow thing because I am not gonna explain it. And he's my crazy first cousin, only less crazy than his mother" I say.

"Why hide?" Bastian asks calmly. I do not like that they trapped me in here like this, and it probably means that they will not let me out before they get answers.

"Because he scares the shit out of me" It is true, in part.

"Okay." Dave says. "part one settled. I perk an eyebrow at him.

"One of how many?" I ask. "Because I am gonna be late for swimming" I say and cross my arms below my chest. Bastian looks at me, so I quickly uncross them again.

"Just three or four" Dave smiles at me.

"Okay." I say.

"Point two: are you a lesbian or not?" Bastian asks. I try very hard to not roll my eyes at him.

"As I already told you once. I simply never liked boys and I have an ex girlfriend in Ohio." I say to him. Dave seems bored that Bastian needs to address that.

"Point three." Dave states. I look at him. I am bored of lying the dirty floor, but am too lazy to get up. I look expectantly at him. He gives me a smug smile. Oh, no. "Who are you going to the prom with?" I saw that coming.

"I already answered that" I say to him. His eyebrows go up. "None of your business" I say.

"Well, maybe that would explain why Erika and Piper are being such bitches" Dave insists. I sigh, it would not.

"No, they reason they are pissed is because Piper found out that she was second choice to go to the prom with, not first" I say, well, at least that is my interpretation.

"What?" Dave says, he does not know the trouble he caused for being a gossip.

"Who did you tell?" Bastian asks me. I roll my eyes behind my eyelids, this was not gonna be pretty.

"Two people: Dave and Delia" I inform them. "How about you?" I turn the question back around to Bastian.

"A few more people… I guess that is my own fault." He says. Dave just saved himself.

"I'm sorry" I say. "Did Piper turn you down?" I ask concerned.

"Well, she told me she would think about it, then she heard about me asking you first and got all offended" he says. She said no. He did not exactly say that, and I do not need to read his thoughts in order to figure that out.

"Anything else, my kidnappers? Before this hostage gets herself out?" I say sarcastically.

"Who is your date for prom?" Bastian says. I cannot answer that to him, because it would mean confessing that I had lied.

"None of your business, all I can say is that it is not a guy." I say. "Yeah, I said no to Quentin too" I say. He had sent a not very enthusiastic message that simply read. _Hey, Judy, if you are not taken, care to go to the prom with me?_ Why is everyone making such a big mess of such a small dumb thing anyways?

"Do you want me to ask you too?" Dave says sarcastically.

"Only if your intentions are not noble" I say mischeviously. He smirks, I laugh.

"Oh, Judy, will not you go with me to the prom or ball that I cannot go to without you to go with?" Bastian and I laugh.

"Can I go now?" I ask.

"You haven't answered him" Bastian points out, still laughing. Dave is trying to keep a straight face.

"Can you endure it without me? I already said yes to a pretty girl." I say bittersweetly. He shakes his head and nods. He pretends to look let down for a second, then recuperates.

"Please tell us who you are going with, otherwise we might think you are making this up just to not go." Dave asks nicely. I have half a mind to tell him, but I am still unsure.

"Lyn" I finally spill.

"What?!" they exclaim together.

"Isn't she with Sean?"

"Lyn, Lyn? Your crush Lyn?" they speak too jointly for me to understand both.

"She broke up with Sean yesterday" I tell them.

"Was that before or after you asked her to prom?" Dave asks.

"Well, what makes you think I did the asking?" I inquire. Dave's jaw drops but he picks it up quick enough.

"You played it well" he says impressed.

"Just kept watching the sidelines until there was a window." I reply sneakily. "Can I go to swim practice now?" They nod and make quickly for the door.

I do not see my cousin anywhere. I find Delia quickly and tell her about him. She looks everywhere but at me when I tell her.

"What is going on? First vampires following you yesterday and now this." She sends electricity around. I take a step back and try to tell her my point of view.

"I don't think that the two things have anything to do with each other." I say. "Julien Norris had no idea of what had happened yesterday. And I am sure that Jonas is here for the pack. They just think that the best way to find Dad is through us, and if necessary through us in desperate need of him." I say, trying to make sense of this.

"Then why don't we just tell them that he died?" she huffs. I roll my eyes.

"I have sincerely no idea." I confess.

In the locker room I change into my swimsuit fast and then head out with Delia on my heels. She then makes herself comfortable in the benches to the side of the pool. I lose her quick enough when she starts pretending to read a textbook while she looks at the tight muscles that the guys on the swim team show off.

"Hey, Judy" Allan comes up to me. I smile meekly and continue stretching before diving in.

"So… what have you been up to lately?" he asks me. What the hell is wrong with the student body? _This is a good idea, she's pretty but not popular, nice too, it's a safe bet and if we have sex afterwards… that would be nice too. _

"Studying, and you?" I reply as I stretch my arms over my head, for a second I wish I had not lasered my armpits just to show him something disgusting about me.

"Well, nothing too interesting." He says. I reach my hands to my toes and then do a few lunges to stretch. He is still besides me. "Wannagotopromwithme?" he asks.

"I'm sorry, Allan, I already have a date." And that makes four people that have asked me, Dave does not count.

"But that girl over there seems to be looking for a date" I point discreetly at Delia. He looks at her.

"Uh, please… if I did not have a shot with you, how will I have a shot with someone popular and beautiful as her?" I shrug.

"You never know until you try" I smile as I pull over my goggles and dive. The water is ice cold and I start kicking after two seconds of bliss underwater.

I tried not to think, but I still find it funny that last night, Bill was counting in his head. I wonder what it is exactly that he was afraid to wonder off to in his mind that he did not want me to hear. That was the only explanation I could think of.

I swam gracefully and felt warmer in seconds. After eight hundred meters to warm up, I started joining people doing hundreds and fifties being timed. I worked side by side with Marie and Pearl. They were giggling every other two laps about something, so I just kept to myself.

By the time I come out, Delia was flirting with a guy, I think his name is Edward, and broadcasting loud and clear. Edward is in her year too, the probably have a few classes together. He has ugly muscles along his neck that make him look stiff.

I go up to her and say hey to both. Delia looks at me.

"You ready?" she says.

"Gotta change" I say and continue to the lockers, she stays talking.

"Well, yeah, I'll definitely go with you to prom" she says. She is confused and fascinated by the idea. I pretend to be wondering in my own head when she turns to me expectantly. Her smile seems to made out of gold, it shines so much.

"Eddie asked me to prom" she says, nudging him.

"Congrats" I smile.

"Okay, see you tomorrow, Eddie" she says to him and we walk away.

"So, that was easy" she says.

"Yep, when you want a date that is pretty easy to find." I say, a bit unenthusiastically, she notices.

"What?" she says. I sigh, I might as well tell he before the silent treats me until we get home.

"I got asked to prom… again" I say.

"Wow, someone is finally being noticed." I roll my eyes, I still do not want to be noticed.

"Ugh, first Bastian, then Quentin, now Allan." I say. "I mean, the school is not so big. If I turn down someone because I am already going with someone else, wouldn't the gossip go?" I say, mostly to myself, but she is listening.

"So, your friend, an X guy that you have talked to twice and a hot guy from the swim team. Why would they walk in the same circles?" she says rhetorically, I get her point.

"So then I should wait until a guy from chess asks me? Or somebody else that is not a friend of any of those?" I ask.

"Well, since you are suddenly getting all this much attention I would not be surprised." She considers me lucky, I feel anything but. She wonders off in her own mind about prom and I keep out. We get in the bus and stay together, it is the least we can do. I plug in some earphones and tune out. But something catches my eye. There, leaning on a rental car and smoking (ugh, so last century) is Jonas. I duck in my seat, because I can see that he is scanning the buses, the cars, everything, to see if he sees either of us. I pull Delia down too.

"What?"

"Jonas, at five oclock," I say. She peeks a bit and then crouches again.

"Yeah, Jonas and Julien too."

"You think we should go home?" I ask.

"Yes, act naturally, that is what Bill has been prompting us to do" she resolves. As soon as the bus gets moving and we are outside of the school, I start to wonder.

"Why are we lying?" I say out loud. "What kind of trouble are we in" I murmur, barely above a whisper.

"It's almost dark" Delia says. Yes, and I am glad. Today has already been a long day as it is.

We get out in our stop and walk home. The sky is a raging magenta as the sun sets in the horizon. I look at it for half a second, in the other direction I can see the moon.

Delia is about to put her key in the holder when I hear something. I grab her hand and pull it back slowly.

"She's still here" I say. Delia gives me a questioning glance.

'Crystal, can't you smell her?" I ask. She sniffs and nods,

I listen in closely. I don't know who is thinking it or saying it: _Make the girls come soon._

* * *

This is so not where i was going with the story, but just sort of flowed. this day ended up being too too loing, even though that i promised longer chapters, well, i cannot wait to finish this day to post it completely. hope you guys enjoy it and leave behind any comments. Anyways, please drop me a line so I can improve. Since i am in vacation, chapters will probably come much easier, though i kinda lost my muse sincenew episodes are far away... and the books i am done with too. Will have to reread in order to find new things... don't worry, i still have some ideas to write out.

two questions to those that are reading:

Should i leave the Lyn and Judy story line inside and tell about how they fare until prom? because i am considering that it is becoming too much original fiction between them, so i am strongly considering leaveing it just a to as a back story.

Other thing, more vampires or not? I've been thinking of Bubba and eric, even inventing a King of northwest U.S., not just Washington cuz i already said how unorganized that is..

Anyways, please consider this. And, again, thanks for reading.


	10. Jonas Stackhouse II

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Charlaine Harris, i'm just playing around.

AN: italics is thoughts, and i did try to not have so many this time. I love your comments, that helps me improve, to thanks to everybody that has helped!

Also, anyone up for betaing?

Thanks for reviewing: le jazz hot, SumFatChic, Billsbedroom, justareader7883, DD and DICATAKADD

* * *

Ch.9

* * *

_Be curious, not fearsome._

* * *

"Uh, I think we'd best get in through the back." I say. "Something is off about that conversation" I say. Delia nods.

We go through the garden, skip over the fence and reach the back door in a few minutes. Delia is ahead of me, off cours,e but I listen in carefully as we creep about. No Julien nor Jonas, Crystal is here alone.

_They should be here already… _Wait, that was not my mom's thoughts. And Crystal I can only barely perceive. Then the thought continues. _Get them safe while Sookie deals with the panther. She does not know I am here. _

I sigh in relief as I notice who it is. He hears me.

"Delia, Judy" he peeks his head out the back door and sees us. He comes out to meet us.

"What's happening with Mamma?" I ask.

"She's talking to her sister in law." He says. More like lying, but oh well.

"What do we do?" I ask him. He considers for a moment.

"I think we should all go in through the front door." He says.

"You too?" I ask.

"Having a vampire will only anger her" Delia says.

"Yes, well, lucky for me it will also give us an advantage. Pam will be here soon" he says.

"She's leaving…" I say. They both look at me. "Or at least she's starting to really consider it." I say.

"Let her see just me, maybe that will help. What they want is to know about Dad, because if he does not show soon, they will claim me." Delia proposes.

"No, you cannot arrive alone. She will get suspicious and your mother will be worried." He talks for us all.

"So, we have to go in both."

"Yes" I was not asking.

"Let's do it then" Delia snarls.

"Front or back?" I ask.

"Front" Delia says.

"What will you do?" I ask Bill.

"I'll be nearby." He says.

"BITCH!!" I can hear the scream all too well. Bill is gone.

"Bill!" I call to him harshly. He stops.

"You're not here, remember?" I tell him. He stops and walks back.

"You girls go. I'll be here."

Delia takes a long stride that I match in four of my steps,

I walk hurriedly alongside her as we go to the front again. She was thinking that this better be quick. I just hoped that Crystal was not feeling especially enfuriated or vindictive. I still remember the scratches that Mamma kept for a good part of the year last time they 'talked'. However, I had a feeling that the fact that she had not come alone this time might maybe work to her advantage. I know that Jonas likes Mamma, but whenever he is with someone else from the pack he is always trying to prove himself.

"She's calm right now" I say to Delia, emphasizing the right now part.

"Good" she says as the places the key in the lock and opens up.

Crystal is sitting on the couch with a pillow under her crossed arms, Mamma is sitting on the other couch, a Dry Coke in her hand. Crystal had already finished her Beer. I wondered how long they had been frozen like that. Only two thoughts kept repeating themselves in each others

_We only found one body… Orson's… Only one body… _

_What if Alcide's men lied to Bill? Maybe he is alive…. They could have lied and Bill would have believed… Alive…. _

_One body… and I recognize the smell no matter what…._

_They lied and he's alive…_

They were both deep in desperation. Neither noticed us enter and the only thing that made Delia pause was my cautioning hand to my side.

"Mamma?" I say in my mind probing gently. She does not move.

_What if Bill was misinformed, Judy? What if he really is alive?_ I shake my head. We had both seen it in his head, well, I had.

You forget I hear him clearly, I reply. He was scared when he heard about it. No matter what Crystal believes, we know better. Dad had talked to Bill, warned him that he had a feeling something was off. They only found one body because the Shreveport wolves got there before. They did call them, and tell them that they found Alcide too, but they only saw one body because the second one had already been moved, as had the third firstly by Bill. Don't you see?

_But, why would… _

Crystal does not want to believe that Alcide is dead because that would mean that the pack is organized when it should not be, you know the whole choosing a new leader is always tough.

I stop out silent conversation and go over to Crystal hesitantly, she just looks at me, but I felt her feelings drill into me. Fear and disbelief.

Mamma shares with me what she told her. She told her that Alcide was dead too, Crystal was unprepared and was still grasping the idea.

I sat next to her, still with caution. She looks at me then turns to look past me to Delia still standing.

"Hey, Aunt Crystal" she says casually. 'Q and A time?" she starts off.

I roll my eyes. Was it not enough to not tell the exact truth.

"Crystal, My husband has not double crossed you. I received a call from the Shreveport wolves two days ago telling me that they found Alcide Herveaux's body, and that they believed Orson Norris to be the other body, but that they could not be sure, which is why they called you. I do not know much, but I can promise you that I have not heard from Sam for longer than a week so I have no idea what has happened with him." She says slowly, a bit troubled, but she gets it all out.

"Sam has not called?" she says puzzled. We all nod.

"No, last I know he had some business in Colombia. You know him, always traveling" she says. I wonder how different their lifestyle was when we were not around.

"I feel so dumb now, I'm gonna call Jonas, now. Maybe he'll like to see the girls" she says. Mamma nods softly. I roll my eyes behind my eye lids and get up to get some dinner. There really is not much to decide with, but we get by.

She gets her phone out as I close the door to the kitchen. It's my day to cook, so I just listen in too their thoughts while they talk dumb small talk to pass the time. I just finished the salad when the doorbell rings. I check the meat casserole, it's a bit bigger than usual, because I know there is Crystal and Jonas to consider, and they eat at least as much as Delia.

I fear what can happen with Jonas here. I was not exactly lying when I said he was a psychopath to Dave and Bastian, though I did lie about his fixation with me.

"So, how is school, girls?" Crystal asks, still making small talk when I settle the casserole in the middle of the table.

"Exhausting, making my resumee good enough for applications next year. Judy is working part time" Delia says.

"Yeah, a four hour shift after classes." I say. "They pay well, and all I do is forward phone calls and emails." I share.

Jonas has not talked since he arrived. He is sitting besides me and I can hear the flow of unsteady sentences and strong emotions emanating from him.

He knows that I sneaked past him at school, and thinks that it means that I am hiding something from him. He had asked the right persons and he knew he was at the right door when classes ended. He has not told this to Crystal and thinks it better than to say his suspicions when they are outnumbered. He is seething with anger and confusion is only a second away from triggering his uncontrolled rage. It is not as easy to talk to him as it is to talk to Crystal.

Then Mamma gets the plates and Delia helps her. I stay in the table with them. I peek at Jonas besides me, for a second I pity that he carries my ancestors names, that we share a family connection. Crystal is looking between us, trying to figure something out.

"So, Judy, any special boy yet?" she asks. I try very hard not to react with my usual laugh.

"No, I'm afraid that I seem to repel them" I say softly. 'How about you, Jonas? Any girlfriends?" I want to say or boyfriends, but know what Crystal thinks of that.

"There's this one girl." Family? I hope not.

"What's her name?" I ask, pretending to be interested.

"Winie" he says, shrugging. "She's nice and pretty" he says. Trust my cousin to be shallow.

"Yes, but we talked…" Crystal starts off, he glowers at her and she does not finish the statement, but she does the thought. _About him finding someone of better blood._ This was about preserving the species? Oh, come on, he himself is only half a panther.

I do not react, but I realize this information might be useful and pertinent somewhere down the line.

Then I hear my computer buzz to life. Who could be calling? I excuse myself and head to my bag on the couch.

Lyn. I could not pick that up now. Mamma comes out from the kitchen again.

"Who's calling?" she asks. I answer in my head. Lyn, a friend from school. Can I pick up?

"One of my girlfriends from school" I lie naturally.

"Oh, okay" she says and I go upstairs to answer it. She had nodded.

"Hey" I say I place the earpiece to my ear.

"Hey, I sent you an email hours ago." She says.

'"I'm sorry, Lyn, I have been away from my computer since swim practice." I tell her. "I had an unexpected family visit and just got off the hook." I tell her.

"More vampires?" she says. I check to see that neither Crystal, Jonas nor Delia heard it.

"No, actual family. My cousin and his mother" I tell her. She laughs.

"His mother? Not your Aunt?" she asks. I sigh.

"It's a stretch of a relationship, really." I say to her. "She's a bit of a wild card, and we do not see each other often anyways" I say to her.

"Oh" she says.

"Do you have a good relationship with your family?" I steer the conversationally towards her, hoping it is easiser than mine.

"Well, we are pretty close, all my cousins on my father's side live here too. We sort of huddled around Wei when he first came to us." She tells me, I listen. "My mother only has a sister, and she lives in a small town in Seattle too."

"No black sheep?" I joke. She laughs.

"No, none of that" she replies. "No one has ever done anything scandalous enough to deserve that" she says. I really hope that homosexuality is okay in her family, because I'd hate is she was taken from all that because of something that I basically opened up for her..

"What's the weirdest thing you've ever had?" I wondered to her.

"Hmm, well, my dad's youngest brother had a very rebellious time after he graduated college. He was all about drugs and inmortality. He got himself into this demon worshippers group, when he came back he had a lot of tattoos. Every one was a bit scandalized, but then he told them about how now he saw everything in a new light thanks to his experiences. He's a very spiritual man, and, well, my family just lets him be because its what makes him happy." She says. I hate what I am about to ask next.

"So they have no issue with homosexuality?" I can hear her take a deep breath and imagine her blushing on the other side.

"No, nothing at all" she says, she considers for a second "I do believe that one of my cousins is in a homosexual marriage. They adopted four years after getting married." She says.

"That's pretty, simple adoption or was it an in vitro or some of those weird things they do join both of their sperms?"

"No, simple adoption" she says.

"So, did you hear there's going to be a third part to To Lose Control?" and I was off talking to her about the books, our speculations about the movie, other books, a few global issues, everything except prom. I loved that.

But I was cut short.

By a knock on my door, I wondered why Jonas or Crystal bothered to come up and say goodbye to me.

"Give me a sec, Lyn" I ask of her and put her on hold while I to get the door. Jonas is there, alone.

"Can I have a word?" he says, the polite words are lost in his fierce voice.

I nod. I put her out of hold.

"Call you tomorrow?" I say to her, "I'll email you later tonight, though" I tell her. She agrees and hangs up.

"Don't forget" she says to me. I would die before I forget anything regarding her.

I mentalize myself for anything before turning to face Jonas.

"Hey" I say as I sit on my chair again and prop my feet up. "You need anything?" I ask him.

"I hate it when you lie to me you know" he says. Not exactly the best way to start this conversation.

"What exactly did I lie about?" I ask him.

"You know, it would just be easier if you told them" he says. What the hell is he talking about?

"I heard your anticipation about that phone call, beats me why your sister did not. I guess you just know how to lie to her." He says. This is about Lyn.

"I have no idea what you mean." I insist

"That was not just a friend calling, was it?" he asks me.

"What's it to you?" I challenge.

"I know what it is like to lie about who you are seeing. I was not able to tell mother about Winie for about a year, I was still supposed to be trying to get Cousin Diana pregnant. But we just met and everything clicked for me." I was puzzled. Where was this coming from? Since when did he tell me anything? Was he starting to have independent thoughts away from the pack?

"Mamma, Delia, Dad and I trust each other with everything." I say to him. As much I was taught to hate my cousin and his mother, right now I kinda liked him.

"Right" he snorts. I shush him "Okay, here is what I came to tell you." He gets serious all of a sudden and his amiable face stiffens for a few seconds.

"I know something is wrong, but I sense that right know protection through unity is the only way that you three will stand. I'd hate for it to break because you do not want to involve your romantic life." He says to me.

"I have no romantic life to speak of" I lie deliberately.

"Not yet" he supplies. Does he get all this because he is a were or because he understands my situation completely?

"Nor will I, the only thing that matters to me is my family." I make him see this.

"Lyn? That's the name right?" he asks. I huff. "Consider what you want, too" he says cryptically. "And is it a her, then?" he asks in a whisper. I glare.

"I still do not understand how this concerns you." I say icily. He considers his answer for a second.

_I don't buy your story at all, but I realize that it won't help to point that out. You three stand united, a strong fort that no one can break, especially with Delia to hold you two. It will tear you apart if romance comes like that, a wave against your contingency wall. And when I fell for Winie, nothing about the pack mattered anymore, not even Mom, and I think that is because they had always pushed me to do everything I did not want to do._ Wow, why had I never before bothered to listen to him? He's not shallow, when's he's concentrated on thinking I can get good sentences for him, and did he really think that?

"I'm not being pushed in any direction, Jonas." I inform him. "This girl, yes, girl, is just a crush," I assure him. "And it does not affect my mother and sister just as much as we affect your pack or your relationship with Winie" I say to him, maybe he had not expected me to reply.

He looks at me as if he had seen a ghost. I consider my words again. "Sorry, I had no idea how much of this was not your idea" I say to him. I feel terrible for all the lies I told about him today at school.

He is still gaping like a fish, then I know why. He had been thinking. Fuwk, I had just sunk myself.

"What the hell was that?" he asks. I shake my head, trying to come up with anything.

"You asked a question and I answered it" I say. He rubs his head. I consider planting an idea, but forget it. "Your mother must have dropped you on your head a few times, right?" I ask.

"But, I…" he starts off

"Because I heard you ask me if I was certain about what my family tells me. Unlike yours, in my family everyone has a voice and everyone knows the reasons behind our actions. I am sorry that you have been brought up with such betrayal so close to you" I tell him sincerely.

"Did I say that?" he cannot remember, off course he cannot remember.

"Yes" I say. "Are you feeling okay?" he shakes his head and pushes his hair back. I am counting on confusion for him to not say a thing.

_Judy, I need to use your computer, but I cannot let the panther see me. Can you distract him?_ The sudden voice of Uncle Bill, just outside my door, and in my head surprises me.

"Jonas, I think I have had the wrong idea about you my whole life" I say to him. He looks at me weirdly. I stand up with my tablet in my hand and head nearer to him.

'I'm pretty sure you were right, it's just that… recently,"

"Hold that thought," I ask him and exit my room in a second. I give the computer to Bill and come back holding a comb.

"Yes?" I ask him as I try to wrestle with the wet hair. "I'm listening"

"I don't want to be pushed around, I mean, Mom always wants me to do what benefits my family by getting an aunt or a cousin pregnant, and I can't seem to do that. And now that I met Winie, I know that I can be what I want to be. I've always done what they wanted me to without question." He settles in my chair, "But now I wonder if I should not" he says.

"Walk away" I whisper

"Huh?" he turns to me.

"You don't follow their endogamy?" I ask. He twists his face. "This… dating cousins and aunts." I explain.

"No."

"You love Winie?" I ask. He nods. "Then be with her" I say softly.

"I can't" he presses on.

"Look, Jonas, grow a backbone, really, I know that they are stronger than you, but you have to be more determined than that" I still wonder when and how exactly this went from an accusation to a pep talk.

"You know I can only shift to a real panther on the full moon, right?" No, I did not. I shake my head a little. "There's so much you don't know about me" he says. I wonder what exactly it is that he wants to tell me.

"Tell you what, before you continue telling me anything, give me your email so you can tell me anything you want whenever you want. I won't judge, and I promise I'll support you as much as I can." I say to him. He nods.

I gave my tablet to Bill, so I only have my electronic agenda with me, a bit outdated, but it would do. He writes in it.

"Do you ever wonder if there is something wrong with our genes?" he asks me. I do not say a thing.

"I mean, the reason why our family is always so messed up"

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Well, our grandfathers died young. There was a cousin whose existence was cut short, who as a vampire only lived less than two years. Your mother can do that weird thing she does, and I…" Hell, no! "I have empathy. I can feel another person, really feel them as their feelings are my own. Does that sound so weird?" I stutter to find the words.

"You're an empath?" I ask. He nods.

"I realized it a few years back" he concedes.

"Then…" but he interrupts me.

"Yes, I know that your family is afraid of what my pack wants, and why we are here, but I also see beneath the distress the bravery that you have in holding yourselves. You're hiding it well, but I will not tell anyone what I know." Which is what exactly?

"Listen, Jonas…" I say. "I do not want to say the words, but I can assure you that we'll be okay"

He nods.

"I'd best be going" he decides. I nod. "Good luck with Lyn"

"Hope everything with Winie turns out okay" I say.

"It will" he assures me.

"Aunt Crystal is downstairs with Mamma?" I ask him. He nods. "I'll go with you" I say.

"Thanks for listening to me" he says. I nod. I am still a bit flabbergasted by the information, but say nothing.

"No problem" I state. Then something comes out of my mouth without my consent. "Julien Norris was at my school today." I cover my mouth.

"As was I" he tells me. "He thinks that your mother is better at keeping secrets, so he wanted to hit the weak link" he says. "Dead end, I was listening" he tells me.

"What's gonna happen now?" I ask. He looks at me tiredly, he looks older than twenty six… or is he twenty eight?

"I have to go back, but I can assure you that they back off, I know just what to say." He says with a smile. Good, that's one less threat to worry about.

"Will you keep in touch?" I ask. He smiles again, he does have a nice smile. And looks, he has blue eyes like my mom, a bit clearer than my own.

"Definitely I say" We reach downstairs and see Mamma and Crystal talking. They are either plotting or scheming. Whichever, it does not look good.

"You cannot be serious!" Crystal says to Mamma. I go to stand by her side.

"I still remember last time" I say as an explanation to placing myself between the two of them.

"They know nothing, Mom. They've only told us what we already know. Let's get back to Julien…" he starts to say. Crystal pulls her arm from his and snarls at us. I hold my place. Mamma flinches.

"I promise I will find out" she threatens.

"We are not lying to you," I assure her.

"Then how come there was a third smell at the site? The scent of dog?" she asks.

"You seem to think that my father is the only dog out there" I point out.

"We will come back, and when we do, we are not leaving alone" she says. Thankfully, Delia is upstairs, because I know just how rashly she would have reacted to that.

"Aunt Crystal, can you leave before my mother loses her temper instead of after?" I try to reason. She lets it go.

"Mom, let's go" Jonas tries to reason with her.

"Fine" she snaps and walks to the door. "But don't get too comfortable, I'll be here tomorrow morning again" she promises. I try not to groan at that.

"Don't count on it" Jonas interrupts her. "Remember what Julien said?" he asks her. She groans.

"I'll get another day" she sounds certain of herself, but I have a feeling that Jonas knows how to dissuade her. I still wonder why exactly it is that he wants to help us.

I close and lock the door behind them. Not that the lock would do any good if they really wanted to get in, but anyways. Mamma is trembling on the spot.

"I am soo not good at lying" she says to me.

"I have interesting news" I tell her.

"What?"

"Jonas is an empath" I say. Mamma scrunches up her face.

"He can sense and alter feelings" I say. "And he knows we are hiding something, though he understands and will help us, so we do not have to worry about that threat anymore" I tell her.

"That's good" she says. "Bill" He is there in less than an instant when she calls him.

After seeing how he softly comforts her rattled state and she gave me the heads up to go back to my homework, I left. Taking the tablet that Bill had placed besides himself when he arrived, I went upstairs to really study, because I had a test tomorrow.

Before really studying, I read Lyn's longer message and replied. Then, I turn to my chemistry books, knowing that I will probably not get any sleep in tonight.

I had not factored into my studying how distracting the conversation in my Mamma's room was going to be.

"Darling, I do not want to make any decisions for you" Bill spoke softly to my Mamma. He considered whether to take her hand and run his thumb through it or hold her and stroke her hair.

"But, what if I make the wrong decision and we fail? I could not stand to lose one of them, or not being able to help Clara" she says. I hear her sniff. She's crying.

"Sookie, listen to me. Hold yourself together, you are not giving yourself enough credit. Who saved all of us in the summit all those years ago? Who saved me even before that? You are very capable to handle things under stressfull situations. I know that you have always have people there to help you" Bill says, he is soothing her and stroking her hair. "You seem to forget that the girls are there to help you, not hold you back. I'd dare say that Delia is more aggressive than you, and that Judy is able of fast thinking just as yourself" he says. She sniffs a bit slower this time.

"It's my fault Sam is gone" she says. "Bill, are you sure? Because what if Crystal is right? He is just hiding? Keeping himself safe? Even from us?" she says depressed by the new idea.

"Sweetie, you don't really think that I would have come all the way up here for nothing, do you? I talked to Sam, we may have our differences, but we have been known to agree on some stuff every so often." He says to her. I wonder when exactly they agreed with each other. A sudden image of Mamma on the floor bleeding, completely inmobilized runs through me. From Bill's eyes, she needs medical attention, but a collie standing besides him seems to have other ideas. He then nods to the dog and quickly takes her in his arms. As he makes his way to someplace a bit more private, the dog makes a whining noise, as if asking him to be sure she is okay, before turning too.

"Yes, I know, isn't it ironic that you always told me that if something happened to you, I should go to Sam? Before you told me to go to Eric, it was Sam." She says. A new set of tears is leaving her and as she feels it coming she tries to stop it. Bill can't find the right words to say.

"Shh, shh, shh" he says to her, leaning in a bit closer. Mamma must have done something, because he stops making soothing noises. Just then a mental image from my mom fills my head and I know it is time to leave. I place my earplugs on too so as to not is so not where i was going with the story, but just sort of flowed. this day ended up being too too loing, even though that i promised longer chapters, well, i cannot wait to finish this day to post it completely. hope you guys enjoy it and leave behind any comments. Anyways, please drop me a line so I can improve. Since i am in vacation, chapters will probably come much easier, though i kinda lost my muse sincenew episodes are far away... and the books i am done with too. Will have to reread in order to find new things... don't worry, i still have some ideas to write out.

two questions to those that are reading:

Should i leave the Lyn and Judy story line inside and tell about how they fare until prom? because i am considering that it is becoming too much original fiction between them, so i am strongly considering leaveing it just a to as a back story.

Other thing, more vampires or not? I've been thinking of Bubba and eric, even inventing a King of northwest U.S., not just Washington cuz i already said how unorganized that is..

Anyways, please consider this. And, again, thanks for reading.


	11. Wake up call

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Charlaine Harris, i'm just playing around.

AN: italics is thoughts, and i have derailed, but i have juicy vampire action in thisone!

Also, anyone up for betaing?

Thanks for reviewing: le jazz hot, DD; justareader7883, Blooddrunk and Blooddrunk!

* * *

Ch.11

* * *

_Be curious, not fearsome._

* * *

I am not afraid of Mamma having a relationship, not even of how it affects me. I am curious about what it is like to do it with a vampire. Who knows, maybe I can charm Pam. Wait, wasn't she supposed to come yesternight? She never showed, well, I did not see her. Maybe she came in after Crystal and Jonas left, when I was busy writing to Lyn.

Lyn. How the hell did I forget that I needed a prom dress? The last nice dress I have is from when I was twelve, for some dumb event in which I am sure I fell asleep. Black should work, Mamma most probably has black? And whatever color Lyn has will probably look good with black. I really hope so.

I moan as I try to fall asleep again. My alarm clock has not even rung yet.

It feels to dark for me to wake up. It feels a bit cold too. I rub my eyes and stretch like a cat in my bed. I roll over to pull my window closed. Too early.

I sleepwalk to my window and shut it. I open my eyes again for a second to check that it's done properly this time.

"Who knew, the living can sleep like the dead" a voice makes me suddenly alert. Pam is sitting comfortably in my chair, legs crossed. "Hello" she says with a mischievous smile.

"Hey" I say back. I rub my eyes. I check my wrist and realize why I had not been able to get up. "It's fuwking four in the morning!" I say.

"Yeah, and I've been trying to wake you since two" she says calmly. I leer at her, she is completely unfazed by it.

"Why?" I ask her, I went to sleep at one thirty, after memorizing as many atomic weights as I could. "Whatever it is could not wait til tomorrow night?" I ask sarcastically.

"Yes and no" she says. I roll my eyes behind my eyelids, then glance at her. "You are feisty." She says, apparently amused.

"What I am is tired" I say. "Why are you in my room again?" I ask, sleepily.

"You are so like your mother is many ways" she replies. I ignore the comment and open my shields to her.

_How to explain… So long as they are not dumb enough to see what it means. Good thing it took me longer than I thought to get here, I hope the girls were not hearing in, Sookie's face was all I needed to see. Wonder how to not tell too much. If Sookie knew how Eric reacted to the little information I was able to give him. And because he did not ask for more. He won't come, but he will with any excuse, he has his reasons for not trusting Bill, after all. _

"Three things. One, I will stay with you guys until prom and go out if you two ever go out at night" Ugh, not happening! I wanted some alone time with Lyn, guess that's not happening.

"You could not wait until tonight to tell me this?" I ask grumpily. She considers for a second, but continues telling me the other news.

"Bill and Sookie…"

"I know" I interrupt her. "Have a history together and apparently it's no longer in the past." I say.

"They were loud?" she asks quite indiscreetly, but I don't really care.

"No, but I had been listening to something important my mother was saying before the mood changed, and then I tried to block them, a bit too slow." I explain. "Delia smelled them" I say to her. She laughs.

"You two sure are special" she says.

"Apparently, it runs in the family" I complain, she does not notice that it is a complaint.

"The other thing is that I need you and your sister to go buy TrueBlood today, after school" she says. "Your mother is going to be gone all day running errands and is currently resting, at least I hope she is, so she could not tell you that bit." She says.

"So, the main reason why you woke is because you needed something to drink before you rise tonight? You could have saved yourself a lot of trouble and drank from one of us!" I say, anger and sarcasm leaking.

"Do you have any idea what me drinking _your_ blood entails?" she replied. I decide it is too late, or too early, to come up with a witty remark.

"No" I say as I lean back on my bed, over my sheets but with my eyes closed, I can't fall asleep now.

"I could sense you, maybe even create a bond with you. Also, you'd change, not very visibly, but the most noticeable change would be that people are easily attracted to you" she says.

"Oh, yeah, like I want more attention" I say.

"Precisely, you do not want to drink my blood. What do you mean more?" she asks, a bit curious. Something tells me to not tell her, but I as I drowsily start to think of it the words flow out of my mouth

"I made a few bold moves to get a date for prom. After I secured my date, four more guys have asked me out. Well, three, Dave doesn't count. And I was so happy to land myself Lyn, now I feel terrible that I've said no so many times. So, after getting a date we have been talking and flirting with each other. Last night she asked me about the prom dress, to which I realized I have nothing to wear. So I thought I'd ask Mamma for a loan. I think black, that way whatever Lyn wears we'll watch okay. I think she would look lovely in red, or any of those high neck, fitted oriental dresses. And Delia shamelessly started flirting with a guy at my swim practice and came out with a date, which was rather quick. " I babble, maybe she listened maybe she did not.

"As lovely as it is to hear you mutter, you should get ready, day is about to break" she announces. I blink a few times. Hell, how much did I say exactly?

"You turned off my alarm clock?" I ask.

"About two minutes ago. I was trying to understand your mutterings." She replies cheekily.

"Ugh" I groan before pulling myself up. "Where are you sleeping?" I ask, I was wondering that yesterday morning.

"Basement, there's a few battered mattresses there" she explains.

"That's good enough?"

"I've slept in five star hotels and in the soil. I really could care less" she shares.

"Okay" I say. "Later then" I say to her as I go in the shower to start my day.

"Oh, anything else you need me to bring you? Clothes? Pads? Earmuffs?" I ask.

"Funny" she remarks as she slides out through my door.

When I go downstairs for the second time with everything, the bus is honking. Shit, I am late.

"Sorry" I say to the driver as I pass him on my way to my usual sit by Dave.

"Okay, when is my birthday?" he asks me.

"Again?" I groan. "December second."

"And what is my favorite soccer player?" he asks.

"This is so pointless you know, there is no robot replacing me or anything of the sort." I reply. "But it's Dmitri Stefenit…oius.. vich?" I say.

"Stefenovick" he clarifies. "Good"

"Is this going to be an everyday thing?" I ask him.

"No, just any day you to something really out of character" he replies. I roll my eyes.

"Out of character?" I tell him.

"Yeah, going paranoid about a shadow, talking like a psychopath about a hot guy that shows up at school, making the bus late. Stuff like that" he clarifies. I decide against picking an argument.

"You're crazy" I tell him.

"No! If we are having a robot or alien takeover, I might be next" he says, a bit too seriously.

"You watch too much sci fi movies" I reply. "Which one was it last night?" I ask annoyed.

"The remake of I, Robot." He replied. "Dean Salazar looks so good in that" he says.

"Doesn't he?" I say rhetorically. I disconnect as he goes back to looking out the window. I observe past him into the street as well. It's raining again.

We reached the school and we walked together but in our own worlds to homeroom. Nothing too interesting, as is usual.

I stepped into the Calculus test hoping that they would ask a lot of questions instead of just five. We once had a five question test that if it was wrong it was completely wrong. I did okay, just one wrong. But it was definitely a harsh test.

Luckily today Mr. Hills seems to be a in a good mood, maybe there will be several questions.

I did not realize I was holding my breath as the tests were passed out. Until a hand in front of me gave me two tests, one left for the person behind me, and I exhaled loudly. "Thanks" I mumbled to the girl in front of me. I don't really know her, but I was being courteous, plus she does have a very nice rear which I watch from time to time when class gets boring.

I see the first question and breathe evenly. I know this.

A few hours later, I come out of my final test; hopefully I will not see this teacher until next week. That will be a relief.

"How'd it go?" Bastian asks me, he is talking with Steve, I think this is Steve, just outside the classroom.

"I think okay" I reply. "You guys?" I ask.

"Messed up in the last two" May Be Steve replied.

"Just okay" Bastian says. "Ready for lunch?" he asks me.

"Oh, you don't mind Lyn joining us?" I ask. He looks at me.

"Well, I guess not" he says. I smile at him.

"Great, thanks!" I say we make our way to the cafeteria.

"Why is she…

"Hey, guys, how was calculus?" Dave made a beeline for us as soon as he saw us in the line.

"I think okay" I repeat.

"Did you see who is going to sit with us for lunch today?" Bastian says to Dave. I had not told him yet.

"Ugh, come on, guys, don't make a big deal out of it" I ask, more like beg. "Lyn asked me to join her for lunch, and I said that she could join us. She agreed to it so be nice" I ask. Because I know that Dave just turn on that spy mode and ask just about everything I do not want to know and that most people do not want to say. Things like: At what age did you stop peeing in your bed and How many exes do you have.

"Oh, someone is very interested." He says. "You think people will pick up on you guys?" he asks. I give him a glare.

"Truly, I don't care. But if she does, well, I warned her. Maybe not enough, but I did." I say. "Besides, she's the one that has been doing a lot of the asking. I think she's just following her M.O. for any other guy, not that I am complaining." I smile at them.

"Good" Dave agrees. "Here she comes" he says, we just reached the paying section. I cuff up a five bill and don't wait for the change.

"Hey" Lyn says to me, I hey back. Then glance back to introduce Bastian and Dave. She smiles yet again.

"Yeah, I remember from yesterday" he says.

"Yes, I'm sorry I did not introduce myself then" she says.

"No worries, though thanks for getting me out of that snake pit" he says. I roll my eyes behind my lids.

"Your own fault" I clarify, yet again.

"So what was with those girls anyways?" Lyn asks as we sit down. I drop my peach and Bastian his glass. I, with a quick reflex, catch my peach before it hits the floor. Bastian is not so lucky.

"Bastian asked me to prom, and then asked Piper. Erika and her did not like that she was second choice. It's that stupid" I tell her, then bite down on the peach just to make sure if she asks something else I do not have to answer.

"So you've known Judy since she moved to Seattle?" she asks them both.

"Well, I guess" Dave says. Bastian nods too. He seems to be pretty relaxed considering what I just told Lyn about him.

Just then Dave decides to make a show. He looks at a guy standing behind Lyn and follows him hungrily with his eyes across half the cafeteria.

"He's a jerk" Lyn tells him after checking were his sight was following.

"A hot jerk, my favorite" he replies.

"And I know for a fact he has herpes" she says too.

"Not my type, but it doesn't hurt to look" he says, "Besides, he does not swing this way, yet" he challenges.

"Go make the difference, Dave" I say, "Grow some balls" I say to him. He looks at me affronted.

"I dare you" I say. He looks at me considering for a few seconds. He then drops his gaze. See, this is the reason why he is still in the closet: he's not brave enough to do anything that might bring attention to himself.

"I can't" he says defeated.

"You should give it a shot" Lyn says nicely. I see what she is playing at. "Who knows, maybe he'll say yes"

"Dave is too frightened to make a move" Bastian says.

"Cut it out, guys" Dave asks of us.

"You're no fun" I say to him as I start to dig in on my veggies. Lyn and Bastian let it slip too.

Bastian, Dave and Lyn flow easily into a conversation about prom. I keep out of it as long as I can. Apparently, even though they are both still dateless, they already have a suit ready and all. They do not mind about going dateless, and they manage to not once mention that they are aware that we are going together.

"So, did you find a dress?" Lyn asks me. That small issue, the last problem on my mind? I should lie deliberately.

"I'm just going to borrow something of my Mamma's" I say.

"You're gonna wear something from two decades ago?" Dave asks as if it's a fashion don't. I could care less.

"Yeah, no biggie. Something black, probably" I share, even though Lyn already knows this.

"I was thinking we could go browse some shops on Saturday, before the movie?" she says. Well, that might be an option, except Pam would see said options as well.

"I don't know… Delia wanted to join in on the movie with her date as well, so I…" I paused deliberately, and then I realized it was a good thing that I did.

"Delia got a date? Now I'm really depressed" Dave says.

"It's not like your really trying" I protest.

"She's right, Dave" Bastian pipes in.

"Would you go with me to prom, Bastian?" Dave asks, out of the blue. We both know that Bastian is as straight as they come. He had already been turned down by two girls, but was not giving up hope.

"Sorry, don't swing that way" he replies.

We all laughed. Even Lyn, for which I was grateful.

After lunch, we split again. Dave and Bastian had home economics, I had the chemistry test. I was reviewing in my head, but found it hard with Lyn talking by my side.

"You have a test now?" she asks. She tells me she has gym next, not one of her favorite subjects. I nod.

"Chemistry, it's not so bad" I reply with a smile. "And I know it sucks that my sister will be going too, I wish I could make her change her mind, but she is very stubborn." I hate lying and I hate that lying comes so easily to me.

"That's okay" she says. She grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze, to let me know that I have nothing to worry about. I look at her. I still cannot believe that by simple chance I managed to get her to notice me. Me, boring me.

"Thanks" I say. She just smiles and nods. She then gives me a kiss on my cheek.

"See you later, then?" I nod. "Good luck with the test" she says as she makes her way to gym. She came all the way to drop me at my class.

Wow. I walk in and sit waiting for the test, reviewing in my head.

Once I finish, I let out a sigh of satisfaction.

Piper walked past me as she turned it in and left, she did not even glance at me. Well, her problem.

I met Delia at the entrance of school.

"So" she says. I look up at her. "How was lunch?" she says.

"Good, Lyn joined us today. I walked in on her crying in the bathroom the other day, and her brain was so loud I couldn't just ignore it. She seems to have liked me." I start telling the truth but change my mind midway, she does not need to know. Not now, not ever.

"Oh." She says, hoping for some other explanation.

"Yeah, she's actually very interesting." I say.

"And pretty popular too" she replies. I ignore the comment as we start walking towards the closest bus stop.

"So, it was a big shock that Jonas wants to step aside from the pack, isn't it?" In say.

"Big shock? I was flabbergasted" she replies. "I mean, not only does it mean that him without a pack is weak, but that him having his own thoughts is scary." She says.

"Scary?" I ask. "I think it's cool. Who knows, maybe he'll help us for a change. Maybe if he ends up with Winie, we'll have second cousins who are beautiful babies and panther kids!" I say.

"You're crazy" she says.

"Seems to run in the family" I reply cheekily. The bus stops in front of us and we get on.

The nearest big supermarket is not so far away, but following instructions, we stuck to crowded spaces. I think it would have been easier to walk home and stop at any close convenience store. However, we did this.

We go the back in the beverage section and each of us gets two six packs of TruBlood. Delia is eyeing a slightly more expensive pack that has a slight percentage of real blood added.

'Stick to the basics" I say. "You want anything to drink?" I ask. She nods and grabs two bottles of beer. I roll my eyes, how Dad managed to get her to like beer is beyond me. I personally do not like it and it makes my belly swell like crazy. Not for me thanks. I'd rather have rum or vodka. I once had tequila, that's good too, but scarce.

I take a bottle of ice fruit. It's really good.

At the front, Delia produces a fifty americ-euro to pay for everything. The paper is wrinkled and old, but they still accept them. They don't even check for fakes anymore. Whoever takes out the time and patience to do one definitely deserves to use it. The intricate design has layers deeper than a photocopier. And it has embedded lining in the edges, as well as a microscopic line that reads United Promising American and European countries UPAEC over and over again. Plus the usual serial number, date and location printed, it also lists the country that accepts them. Many of which have already been absorbed, but what gives.

"A while longer and you'd sell this as a relic" the cashier jokes flirtatiously. He is young and has nice white teeth. Delia smiles. I force my lips upwards. It's a bit hard when he is clearly broadcasting an image of seeing both of us wearing nothing. Ugh, men.

"Well, sometimes vintage is better" she replies. Please tell me she is not flirting back. Whatever happened to do a simple errand and make sure to always have people around? I wonder where Mamma is.

I pull her arm after I shove all the drinks into a reusable sewn bag that they provide at the store. Apparently, the labor used to make this is now an issue. But then again, when is it not? Before that, it was the abuse of plastic bags, and before that, paper bags and deforestation.

We get on the bus just outside the market and go home.

Pam was arriving at our house just at the same time. I offered her a bottle, which she promptly sticks in the nanowave, before setting the rest of them besides the fridge.

"Your mother in yet?" she asks. I shrug, Delia sniffs and shakes her head.

"We just came in¨ I inform her. "Oh, and you should probably know that we are going to the movies Saturday" I tell her.

"At what time?" she asks. I think about it. I guess meeting there at five would be okay

"Just before dark, I think. My friend wants for us to go looking for a prom dress" I explain. "I told her I'd talk something old of Mamma's, but she suggested, so I figure I can get something in retai-

"Oh! Shopping! It's been ages since I've been able to go shopping!" she says, acting quite girlish, for a moment I wonder how old she was when she was turned, not much older than Delia I guess.

"When did that happen?" Delia asks.

"Today" I answer promptly."But if you don't wanna go…" I start to say.

"Well, since Pam is going and I have the hardest physics tests yet on Monday…

"You can sit it out, and maybe Judy won't have to go to retail with me" she says with a wink. I ignore a feeling in the pit of my stomach and smile unconvincingly at her.

"I already have a dress anyways¨" Delia finishes

"Well, I guess between Lyn and you we'll find a good dress" I say.

"Cool!" Pam says.

"What's cool?" I was so shocked my Pam's reaction that I did not notice that Bill was coming up from the hidey hole behind the pantry. (Okay, okay, not that anyone told me that that was there)

"Judy and I are going shopping with a friend of hers on Saturday" Pam tells him. He looks at me puzzles.

"You got a date?" he asks. I nod. I get a glimpse of what he's going to ask and shake my head. "I've already had that conversation like three years ago! And I'm not from the last century, either" He looks at me with something between anger and surprise.

"Fine" he replies in his usual propriety.

"Want some blood?" Delia offers him to settle the situation. He nods. She quickly places on for three seconds in the nanowave. She hands it to him. I try to shield my mind.

"How much longer will it take Mamma to get here?" I ask. Pam and Bill look between each other.

"As long as it takes" Bill says cryptically. I do not like his tone. He doesn't think about whatever it is that she is doing, so I am left in the dark.

"That's informative" Delia says sarcastically. I hold back a laugh at that. Bill falters for a second and I see more than a glimpse.

"Why would she go looking for the Bear Pack of Washington?" I ask.

Pam looks at him daggers as he realizes that he blew it.

"THE BEARS?!?" Delia explodes. I am still trying to understand. I know that Dad had a kinda working relatioinship with them, like they had to draw agreements every so often so that their camping trips would not be interrupted by the other, especially because they both have younglings, or had in his case, Delia is nearly of age now.

Pam, realizing that it had all gone down now, thinks about Mamma´s earlier errand to the bank. Selling the house and canceling the small account. They are also investing in an RV for all four of us, Pam has to go back to Louisiana, but Bill is supposed to be somewhere else. Another continent, I think.

"I cannot believe you would not tell us this!" I ask irrationally. Delia screamed at the same time. She then ran out of the kitchen and into the living room, by the sounds, she is tearing something apart in the basement. I take it she does not like the bears, I think that .

"It was not our decision to keep the information from you" Bill explains to me. I glare at him.

"Well, clearly, since you are unable to shield it correctly!" Pam rounds at him. He snarls at her, she looks at him venomously. Oh, shit!

When I see Pam lunge at Bill, I did what seemed the smartest thing at the time that turned out to be the stupidest. I placed myself between the two of them.

It happened in a split second. I had not even realized that they both had extracted they fangs and were ready to attack. I shielded my face, but I got bitten anyways.

"Judy! No!" I felt the muscles in my arm rip apart. I feel lightheaded as my arm falls limp at my side. But I am still standing. Am I? Maybe someone is holding me.

"Look what you've done!" _Merde, c'est vraiment terrible… Merde…_

"Look what you made me do!"

"She's bleeding too much." One of them states matter of factly. I'm bleeding? I open my eyes, but it makes me feel too dizzy. I close them again, but I did see a large red spot on the floor.

"We have to take her to a hospital" Someone says, I think Bill said that.

"No, they'll ask too many questions, they'll record her being there. We already know that they looked for her through her job"

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

"Let her drink some blood" _Shit, shit, shit_

"She'll bond with me if we do that" _What will Sookie say if she sees this?!_

"Then my blood" _Okay, calm, I must have control. She'll be okay._

"It has to be my blood" _Quick, stupid vampire!_

"Okay, okay, do it quick."

"Clean the floor" _ Your're thinking of the mess when there are more pressing matters?_

"With my tongue?"

"With whatever…." I hear another crunching sound followed by a gasp.

"Judy… Judy, can you hear me?" I try to nod, but I have no idea if I accomplished it.

"Drink, Judy" I hear, I feel something warm and pulsing press against my lips. Whatever it is, some drops fall into my mouth. I instantly feel the metallic taste of blood. I am not really sucking, just swallowing. I try to open my eyes again, that's when I notice that I am looking at the ceiling and Bill is holding me, I am barely above the ground and his free arm is dripping into me. I blink deeply. I see that he has a wound on his wrist.

"Not too much!" Pam says. "Have you never done that before?" she scolds him. He huffs and ignores her. But then he sucks on his own wound, allowing for a bit of saliva to clean his wrist. I keep blinking, trying to focus in on something real. I know it's Bill because of his frantic thoughts about me, how worried he is and how masculine the arm around me feels.

He looks like he just saw death with a heartbeat.

"Clean the wound" he asks of Pam. She had already finished cleaning the floor. There is a bloody mop by the door.

"Where's Delia?" I ask, but I cannot hear my own voice.

"Downstairs" Bill says. I try to nod.

"Judy, are you all right?" Pam asks. I experimentally try to move again. I feel so good. Like I just did the best lap I've done in quite some time.

"What happened?" I ask. I see a mop at the end of the kitchen, covered in blood, there is still a small trail towards it.

"You did something very stupid is what happened" Pam says.

"No, you simply were not thinking" Bill clarifies.

"Okay, after I started bleeding, how did I start bleeding?" Hell, how did I know it was my blood?"

"Well, you sort of got in the way…

"I mean to do just that"

"My fangs landed on your arm" Pam confessed and looked down at the floor, feeling terribly guilty about it. I looked at my arm. It was as good as new,

"I healed just like that? Is that the shifter blood in me?" I ask. Pam laughs.

"No, you drank of Bill's blood" she replied. I realized I felt excruciatingly hot. I looked around. Bill was finishing to clean up the mop in the kitchen sink. Pam was kneeling besides me, and she had my head resting between her legs, and one of her arms was hooked under my shoulders. I shifted away, maybe a bit too quickly. I knelt beside a chair but had to hold on to steady myself.

"I told you that was too much blood" Pam teased Bill.

"Can't you guys cut it out for a few minutes?!?" I ask. It isn't so hot anymore.

"I can" Bill says, he then looks at Pam with a glare. She huffs.

"Fine, I'll try to deal with his insubordination and wrecklessness" he states. I roll my eyes behind my eyelids and then stand.

"Thanks" I say sarcastically as well. I sit in the chair and try to gather my thoughts. As much as I tried, I have no memory of what happened after Pam's fangs sank into me… at least none of my own. I try to sort my thoughts while still keeping my shields up.

Pam sits beside me and starts stroking my arm. It feels good, but then I realize exactly what I am relating that to, or rather who.

"Can you cut that out?" I ask. She looks at me rather taken aback, but does as I asked, and her hand literally flew back from my arm as if stung. Bill looked between us, but then he must have heard something, because he turned his head quickly towards the living room. Then I hear the door creaking open.

"I got Mexican!" Mamma calls from the front door

"Not a word" Bill says to the both of us as he goes to greet her.

"I take it you will tell her?" I ask loudly.

"Tell me what?" Mamma asks as she meets Bill halfway into the kitchen.

I can hear Delia finishing her rampage and getting upstairs.

"Hello, darling" Bill says and kisses her, trying to make her forget the question. Ha, as if. Then the kiss started to get steamier.

He asked for entrance into her mouth, initially I thought it was going to be just a peck. Mamma wrapped her arms around his neck and he places his around her waist. Wait, no, now they are on her butt. Mamma's arms squeeze tightly around his neck. The food bags are forgotten at her sides. It's warmth is even more forgotten. I can literally feel the two of them feeling the curves and heat of the other. I try to shield it but it is too strong. I try to shield it again. Then I give up. All the time I had been watching. His expert tongue taps her teeth and she sucks on his lower lip. They have a perfect synchronization between the two of them. When she sucks, he kisses her upper lip and when he twists his tongue, she open her mouth just a bit. Not too much for it to look as if they are cleaning each other out, but enough to let her breath. Him too, but he does not really need it. I think he just does it to make her feel he is more alive.

"Ahem…" Pam says. That's when I look down, realizing that we had both been staring.

"Please forgive us" Bill asks. I wave my hand away because it is no big deal.

"Now I'm hungry" Pam says. Mamma wrinkles her face at her. I know exactly what type of hunger she is feeling.

"I have to go study a lot, I say. We got a lot of TruBlood, it's by the fridge" I tell Mamma. _Don't forget there is something that Bill has to tell you, whether he likes it or not. _I remind her.

"Did you bring chipotle sauce?" Delia asks as she comes in with her pajama. Her shirtsleeves are bunched at the sides and her hair looks a mess.

"Yes." Mamma says. "What is it you needed to tell me?" she asks turning to Bill. He looks uncomfortably between Pam and I, who both glare him down.

"There's been an accident" he starts to tell.

"Can I take my food upstairs?" Delia interrupts. "I have to study a lot and need a shower, too" she informs us.

"Me too?" I ask.

"Go ahead, I need to talk to Pam and Bill anyways." She says. "What tests do you have tomorrow?" Mamma asks us.

"Psychology!" Delia screams down the stairs.

"Phys Ed!" I yell a bit less shrill and less loud.

"What happened?" she asks me.

"Pam was teasing Bill, only it was a bit more than that" I tell her. "Pam tried to bite Bill. I did the stupid thing of getting in between the two of them. Pam wounded me, I drank Bill's blood to heal the wound and then Pam cleaned the wound." I explain. She looks shocked but I am too tired to care.

"Why not just one of them?" she asks,

"Beats me" I reply. The word bond came to mind, but I have no idea in what sense.

I open my computer to find two messages from Lyn. I smile and start typing back to her.

I am happy tomorrow is Friday already.

* * *

Yay! I finished a chapter, true the last portion is a bit rough, so i'll reread it next weekend.

Please review, and i am story to keep you waiting so long, but i have other responsibilities to attend to either!

Next chapter: an interesting phone call....


	12. A dress and an id

Disclaimer: some of these characters belong to Charlaine Harris, this is a combination of my futuristic imagination in her world.

Thanks for reviewing: justareader7883, DICATAKADD, Bloodrunk (so sorry for keeping you waiting so much!) and Delainey Dawn. For the two of you who were concerned, thank you so much. I was simply in the middle of a very though semester. Thankfully i am in vacation right now. I promise to write more frequently now.

Here goes.

* * *

If curiosity killed the cat, then fear killed the toad. Being afraid can kill you, be it because you lie or run away, sometimes actions are not really a good response to the unexpected. On the other side, when meeting something new, curiosity sometimes gets the better of us, making us forget to stop and think before it's too late. Either way, it really is a life and death situation. Accidents happen, but between control and lack of it, fear and curiosity rise later.

It's raining, again. The sky is still dark, and the heavy raindrops can be heard by the window and on the house. I think rain is the one thing of Seattle that I really do not like. It is always, always raining.

It's still a bit early for a shower, but I am up anyways. I check my tablet and, as expected, I have an inbox from Lyn. I wonder how much of my babble yesterday Pam got. She didn't say anything specific when I said that we were going shopping with Lyn. I have a weird feeling about her, like there is something she is not telling us.

I can hear the weak signal that Delia and Mamma give off while they are asleep. Delia is dreaming about hunting, and Mamma is dreaming about Dad. Well, they are both dreaming about Dad. That makes me sad too. I remember when he taught me how to defend myself. I think he had always wanted a son, maybe that's why Delia and me are so self sufficient, and not precisely all girly and gushy. I love Dad, a part of me still thinks that anytime now he'll waltz right in the house again. I wonder, if I had tried then, if I can reach out for his mind, even when my usual range is five hundred meters. Unless I am talking through the phone, it seems to transmit itself through too. Mamma says she doesn't have that. So, I guess I am special like that.

I turn to look at my alarm clock. It's four fifty three, that means I have a bit over half an hour before my alarm buzzes. I lean back towards my computer and decide that there is no better way to spend the time, well, since I am awake now, than to study. Besides, I still have two more tests. None today, luckily. Next week. And then… prom. With Lyn. I can feel the butterflies again.

"Hey!" A message pops up. Well, at least this is less intrusive.

"Hey, Pam" I type.

"You're up?" she asks.

"As you can see" I reply.

"You're an early riser," she types. She types fast. "What are you doing? Can I come up? I am curious about your dress, I was browsing some shops at the Mall for a while tonight after all of you went to sleep." I take it back, she types extremely and superhumanly fast. Well, I guess it's part of being a vampire.

"Did you break in?" I ask first.

"Sure, you can come up. I was just studying" I write.

She knocks less than a second later.

"Well, I already said you can come in" I say in a low voice. She giggles and comes in. She's awfully outgoing, for a vampire. From what I've heard I mean.

"Look at this" she thrusts a camera into my hand. There are several snapshots of some pretty nice dresses.

"They look expensive" I comment. _I can afford it, _she thinks, and rolls her eyes. "Yeah, but I don't wanna spend so much money on something that I'll be wearing probably once."

"Oh, come on, It's prom! Besides, who knows if you'll have one next year." True. I look at her intently.

"Yeah, we probably will have much more trouble by then" I say. She might have thought I went into thinking

"How do you feel?" she asks.

"Okay" I reply puzzled.

"Nothing special?" she says.

"Well, asides from the usual" I say.

"Oh"

"What's they supposed to mean?"

"You had Bill's blood yesterday" she explains. "Not a lot though, because I made sure of it"

"Well, you had mine too" I reply checkily.

"That was a mistake" she says. She makes herself comfortable on my bed.

"What's so wrong about bloods anyways?" I ask.

"Well, you become bonded" she says. I raise my eyebrows to point out that that is enough to explain to me whatever it is she is trying to say. _When I drink your blood, it simply feeds me. But when it goes the other way around, there are so many things that can happen. Some people blend it with cocaine to have a special high. Some people use a few drops to get high on vampire blood alone. When it is consumed in larger amounts, it has healing properties, which is why I made you take some. Some people die because of vampire blood abuse. Besides all this, doesn't it taste badly to you? Anyways, you will probably have keener senses, which is something you will definitely feel. Oh, and one last thing… whoever's blood you took will be able to find you faster and… feel you. _

"Feel me how?" I ask out loud. "It tastes metallic, I don't exactly dislike it" I reply.

"Well, feel your presence. But if he had also taken your blood a bond is created and he can feel your emotions and libido, and you would feel his too."

"Does that mean that I'd sense when he's horny for Mamma?" I ask. She laughs.

"Probably. Oh, and since you had vampire blood, your sex drive may be a bit stronger" she says calmly. I raise my eyebrow at her.

"Well, if I start doing something inappropriate tomorrow, I hope you'll stop me" I request.

"No, I can use the entertainment" I roll my eyes, sure, she's dead honest, but that was so uncalled for. I study her for a second, even though she is deadly pale, her rouge lipstick makes her seem even more so. She always wears nice pastel colored clothes, and they look comfy too.

"You're so different than Bill." I say suddenly, she looks at me intrigued by my statement. "I mean, he's like not very talkative and all cryptic. With you I feel like I could be talking to someone normally, someone my age." She looks at me with a tired look. "Plus, you like things. I don't think I'm saying this clearly… You are not what I thought a vampire is like. Like, outgoing and accessible. Easy to talk to. Helpful, even." I say. She laughs.

"You're Sookie's kid, for one thing. Sookie is the only human I trust and love. You're a lot like her, and even more extraordinary. I guess I am attracted to your ways. What movie are we watching tomorrow?" she asks.

"Oh, one that's based on this book I love" I inform. "To Lose Control"

"Isn't that the prequel of To See You Again?" she asks. I nod. "Awesome, haven't read that one" I get up and browse my bookshelf for a few seconds.

"Here you go, something to pass time with when we are all asleep later" I say. She grabs the book and smiles. "Perfect"

"The other one starts in the hospital, does this one end there?" she asks,

"Read it yourself!" I reply as I make towards the shower.

When I come out, it's all ready light out. Pam's gone.

Mamma is in the kitchen when I arrive downstairs in my uniform. She's twisting a cup of coffee in her hands. Delia is nowhere in sight, I scan and sense her looking for a clean pair of socks.

"Morning" I say, Mamma is still in her pajamas, or rather, negligee. But what's surprising is that she is awake.

"Judith" she starts, I get a feeling that today won't be the normal school day I expected it to be. I reply as I open the fridge.

"Yes, Mamma?" I ask, I found some yogurt quickly and settle in front of her.

"You'll be skipping school today" she says.

"What? Why?" I ask. She looks at me in that don't-make-this-though look. I have a spoonful and relax my face.

"We need to get some fake identities, papers and what not. I asked around and found a good source, but to keep our anonymity we have to be careful. I figured two telepaths is better than one. Plus, we have no idea what having Bill's blood will have as consequences." I am only half listening. I mean, I am paying attention, but the taste of my usual yogurt is completely off. I feel where it had been long before reaching my hands: I relish in the taste. It's… more milky, but the bacterias in which it fermented can be tasted too.

"That good, huh?" Mamma asks me. I stop wondering immediately.

"I'm sorry" I say" I was trying to listen" she just smiles and I feel that she knew this was going to happen.

"Yeah, that's the first sign" she says. I roll my eyes.

"Go change out of those clothes then" she tells me. I leave. Something tells me that today will be anything but uneventful.

I find a clean jeans and a comfy t-shirt that carries the bold message: recycle today, live tomorrow, printed on my abdomen. The red recycle sign is on the back. Dave hates this shirt, he says I', asking for a death sentence when wearing this shirt. I find my nice green platform sandals and hop on. Downstairs, I find myself doing nothing as I wait for her. I get bored easily and clean up the breakfast table. Once done I check the menu. I am supposed to make dinner tonight.

"Ready?" comes a yell from upstairs. I yell back a one word answer. "Si" I can hear her heels as she comes down the steps.

"Wow, you're all dressed up" I comment. She's wearing a purple skirt that accentuates her ass with a beige blouse that makes her bosom stand out. Very unlike her.

"Didn't you hear me?" she says. "Put on something fitting" she says. I roll my eyes behind my lids and go up again.

We leave the house as if we were going to an elegant brunch or something. I felt odd wearing my only nice brown skirt. Mamma starts filling me in as soon as I buckle in.

"We need anonymity, and various IDs are going to be needed, for some we use our normal appearances, but wigs and contact lenses will be used for some. The amount of these is so that nobody" I notice the emphasis on that word: any group that might want to harm Clara or us, be it vamps, shifters or weres. "Is able to follow nor find us." I nod. "the guy we are meeting today is a secret provider for terrorists, undercover vampires and government agencies. He can make a background appear out of thin air. He does not do this for anyone, we need to be persuasive"

Suddenly I understand why she's looking so nice today.

I was trying to see where in town we were exactly, but I got lost in no time. Mamma was having erratic thoughts and I thought that the best I could do was just watch the passing buildings, which seemed to be less and less as we drove away from home.

It must have been an hour later when Mamma's phone rang.

"Sookie" says I voice I could hear quite clearly from where we were.

"Who is this?" she asks into the com device.

"Jonas." The voice replies. A smile creeps up to my face. So he did call.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" she asks, going to the worst possible scenario quickly.

"Yes and no" he says. I listen in, I don't care.

"Wait a second, I'm driving" she explains and changes the audio. Now we can hear him from the speakers in the car.

"Talk" I say to him.

"Hey, Judy" he says. I hey back and prompt him to spill the news.

"Bad news is the pack disowned me. Good news is I left the pack" he says, quite uncaring about it.

"You go, Jonas!" I say to him. Mamma gives me a look.

"What is going to happen with them now?" she asks.

"They are going to go look for Sam in Argentina? Colombia? Somewhere around there, they are already contacting a pack of anteaters to help them, thinking they probably know him already" he explains.

"Anteaters?" I ask.

"It's a common large mammal there, they are not exactly hostile but it's better than looking up the jaguar pack" he explains. "And you'd be happy to know that they are not after you three anymore" he announces. Mamma sighs in relief.

"Are you going to go to Winnie, now?" I ask.

"On the top of my list" he says, I can sense the huge grin he has on.

"Awesome," I say.

"Jonas, where will you go?" Mamma interrupts.

"I'll join Winnie with her grandparents while I get a job and a decent bank account number, They are really nice folk" he says. Mamma is glad she does not have to play anymore responsibility with him.

"Well, that's about it. I have a plane to catch" he says,

"Keep in touch, you hear?" I say with a smile.

"I will as long as you do" he replies and then hangs up.

"Well, that went well" Mamma says. She stops the car in front of a very nice office building.

"This is it. Keep your mind open" she asks. I am already thinking about the headache that this is bound to give me. A guard with a rifle open the door for us. Yes…. Normal Friday.

"Yes?" he asks.

"I'm here to see Mr. Auerback" she states calmly. Hmm… this guys seems to have no thoughts at all. Either that or he is quite thick.

"You have an appointment?" he asks. We nod. "Under what name?" he asks again.

"William Compton" she states calmly.

"It says here that only one was coming" he says.

"Well, I got an escort" I reply wittily. "Since William Compton could not come himself" _JUDITH!_ She shouts in my head. I ignore it and hold my eyes with his, trying to get something, anything. _Oh, yeah, says right here… Vampire, will send representatives. Plural, duh. _

"Come in" he says gruffly, then allows us in through a second door.

"Thank you" we both said.

"Good morning, how may I be of assistance?" A pretty secretary with fake breasts, fake eyelashes, fake hair color and I am pretty sure colored contact lenses, addresses us. We both smile, but I let Mamma take control this time.

"I have an appointment with Mr. Auerback, under the name William Compton" she says. She types a few things on her desk and retrieves the information.

"Yes, will it be just the two of you coming?" Mamma nods. "And you have all the passports?" she nods again. "Perfect" she startys typing again. I look at her steadily. _New costumer, probably he'll make them pay triple the usual fee… not that I care, my salary won't be affected by any of it. And quite the lookers too, they must be sisters. _

_Sisters? Come on, _Mamma thinks to me. Hey, that's a compliment for you… not so sure about how it is on my side. I remain looking at the secretary, then I find her name in an agenda badly placed across a few other papers: Paige, how proper.

"Paige" I say out loud. She looks at me. She smiles boringly.

"Yes? That's my name" she says.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I was just reading it in that nice day planner you have over there" I say. "You have the prettiest eyes" I say, looking directly at them. _Ha! I knew these contacts would get me compliments._ I smile at her. She goes back to her screen desk and looks up a few forms for us to fill. She hands us a couple of digital wireless screens.

"Please fill these forms in, one per family member" she asks. "And as soon as you are done Mr. Auerback will see you" she says.

_What was that for?_ Mamma questions as soon as we sit. It is a fact that treating people by their names and complimenting them gives a good impression, and makes them more willing to help that person. She rolls her eyes and starts to fill out the forms. _You do your sisters and yours, I'll do Bills._ I nod slightly in response.

Name, age, date of birth, possible aliases, attach photo here, sex, height, weight, and sexual orientation.

Sexual orientation? I ask. _That means if you're gay or not, or both._ She replies. I know what it means, my question is why is it relevant. She looks up at me with an indignant look, she looks over my first form and marks the straight check to make it easier for me. I gulp.

I open a second window to do Delia´s. Would she like going by the name Leona? Or Catwoman? I think not, so I jot in a few names: Sarah Brown, Lauren Lipton, Meghan Black, Alina Wasowski. I repeat two of the names I had already given myself: Lyn Lipton and Beatrice Black. We have to pretend to be family anyways.

Should we suggest similar last names, too? Mamma shrugs. I am ready.

_Just a sec,_ she asks. I look around the waiting room. We are the only ones it, helping to make it feel more spacious than it really is. The caramel colored walls look anything but tasty. There is a shrub to the side, that has definitely not been watered in a while, a couple of chairs with a few outdated disposable e-magazines are on the coffee table. There is also a vending machine at the end of the room. It serves beverages and un subsistent foods. _Done. _

I get up and she does likewise. We go back to Paige, I smile at her as I place the screens on her screen desk.

"Thank you," she looks at the screens and then smiles at us, this time it seems a bit more real. "I just opened the door for you," and as she said it the door to our left opened. "and Mr. Auerback is waiting."

"Thank you" I say with the most genuinely smile I can and then walk besides Mamma to the door.

Mr. Auerback must think a lot of himself. He is wearing a tight shirt that is not helping his lack of pectoral muscles and round belly. He is balding, so he must be at least forty. He has small grey eyes that look like beetles beneath his dense eyebrows and bloated cheeks.

"Good morning, good morning!" he says with a smile. He stretches out his hand, stubby fingers with multiple rings. Delightful. Mamma shakes his hand first, I do likewise. _Beauties like these should not hang around unknown vampires… at least not for a long time. _

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Auerback"

"Alf, please, please!" he asks. "And sit down, sit down" Clearly, he was taught that saying one thing once is enough. "Anything to drink? Coffee? Orange Juice? Tea?" he starts talking animatedly.

"Coffee, please" Mamma asked. I shake my head slowly.

"I'm okay, thank you" I reply with a smile. He presses a button off to his left and a coffee mug is propelled towards Mamma.

"Thanks" she says, and takes a sip. _This is horrible coffee. _She thinks to me without any expression at all.

"To business, then" he says, rubbing his chubby hands together.

"Yes, I am going to need seven different sets of IDs for four persons. Three females and one male. One of two natures, one vampire and two humans. You think you can arrange that?" he leans back on his chair.

"Off course I can arrange that" he says. "For a price, off course" We nod.

"How much?" Mamma asks.

"Eight thousand… americeuro" he asks.

"Five thousand" I offer, starting to haggle.

"Now, look, I am not in the habit of being told what to do" he starts.

"We are just making an offer, we can always walk out this door." I say, staring him down.

"Seven thousand" he offers.

"Five thousand five hundred" I reply.

"Six thousand, I am not offering you even one cent less" he threatens

"Deal" I say with a smile. _Good, I thought it was going to be a lot more_.

"And should the check go in your name?" Mamma asks, taking out her digital checkbook. He nods.

"That's Alfred Auerback, with a U" he says. We both peep inside his mind, I can feel Mamma´s presence besides mine. He is thinking of his name in a fancy script, _Alfred Auerback_.

"When will you have this ready?" Mamma asks. He looks between us. Mamma allows him to see the check, with the name correct, before signing it and sending it to him.

"Four days, so it should be ready by Tuesday… Look, you're asking for a lot of IDs…"

"Yes, and I heard that you are good at not asking questions" I say with an acid smile. He dislikes me, I can tell.

"Yes, off course, I was just wondering if you'd…

"Like to tell?" Mamma finishes for him. "Mr. Auerback, please… if we did not need such anonymity do you think we would have come here in the first place?" she says.

"Alf, please. And yes, excuse my prying" he says quickly.

"Until Tuesday, then" I say.

"Just tell Paige whatever time works for the two of you, or all of you if it is necessary" he asks.

"We shall, thank you" Mamma says and stands up.

"Until next time then," I say with a creepy smile towards him. If I could play with his mind a bit…

But I don't.

* * *

Mamma walks out with her chin held high. I do likewise. She smiles and pays to the secretary. I look at her as she types on her desk and gives us a disposable microchip as receipt for us to store. It says for professional services in the description.

"Thank you" she says.

"Thanks" I say too as she turns to leave. I wink at the secretary and follow Mamma.

Mamma stops at a veggie place to have lunch.

"That guy is quite greedy" I say. Mamma nods.

"Bill had told me that he would most probably ask for much more" she shares with me.

"So my haggling was unnecessary?" I ask.

"No, it was good" she says.

"Good" I reply.

"What do you want to do then?" she asks with a smile.

"I don't know, nothing else important for the rest of the day?" she shakes her head.

"Well, just get home with some blood and maybe sleep before the sun goes down" she replies. She starts taking pieces of her macadamia and chocolate chip cookie. I do not like chocolate.

"You have any idea how weird that sounds?" I say. She smiles.

"Nah, you'll get used to it" she says. I take a sip of my honey and yogurt dessert.

"Sure," I say, I slip my shoes off and on under the table. We stay quiet as we finish dessert. She has always had a sweet tooth that she cannot help, and I guess me too.

"Let's go" she announces as she takes the last bit of cookie and takes her place to the window counter at the end of the deli.

"Yes" I say. The car ride is uneventful. As soon as I get home, I go to my computer. I had to leave it behind in the morning, but not anymore. I made a copy of the receipt for today before giving the original to Bill. I also took a chance to change the log in names: Uncle Bill and Judith M.S. He can change his back if he wants too.

Eighteen new messages and five missed calls. The calls are from Dave, Piper and the school. Apparently, I did not justify skipping to any of them. I don't see why Erika cares. I go back to the messages. Five from Lyn, five from Dave, one from the school as well, Bastian, Erika, Piper and Alexa. I go for the one from school first. I make a quick reply about waking up with a slight fever, and that Mamma probably forgot to email them. Then I went to Dave's messages first, just because I would spend less time replying to those:

**What is my mother's maiden name? – Dave**

**Are you alive or did the vampires eat you? – Dave**

**Hey Judy, this is no longer fun. Come out of hiding already. – Dave**

**Are you sick? Delia said you were. You are not contagious, are you? Because I CAN'T miss prom! – Dave**

**Well, at least a "yeah i'm sick, thanks for worrying would be okay" – Dave**

"Dumb Dave" I think out loud. Then I reply.

**Sorry, I am sick. I slept all morning. –Judy M.S.**

"Judy?!" Mamma calls from downstairs. I guess if it was not important, she would not scream out like that. She usually just calls in her mind. I scretch my arms with the tablet over my head and roll over in bed to hit the floor. I skip down the stairs, not knowing what to find.

At least Jonas stayed true to his promised. Those are not panthers.

* * *

Thank you for reading, I shall update sometime this week.


	13. Pam's pennies

Disclaimer: some of these characters belong to Charlaine Harris, this is a combination of my futuristic imagination in her world.

Thanks for reviewing: AmaZen, DICATAKADD, and justareader7883. You are all awesome.

* * *

Who are those? The small crew seems to be come together, not because they are uniformed but because they look alike. A small family, perhaps? I am curious, for some odd reason I want to get to know these new people. Or do I already know them?

"Is that your daughter?" a man that seems to be nearly a century old asks. I nod. What is going on?

"Yes, but this is my second daughter" Mamma replies. _Meet the bears. _Oh.

"Hey, you're Judy." A younger voice says to me. I turn my head to see… Steve? May be Steve? He then thinks a clear sentence, or at least as clear as I can get from weres: _Judy … last one…expected… see._ I open my shields completely: _What… Stellan …doing? _Thank you, other guy at the back!

"Hey, Stellan" I smile back at him. The old man clears his throat

"Sorry, Barnard" he said, still looking straight at me.

"Did ya get the math results, yet?" I ask, ignoring the prior conversation.

"Yeah, you weren't there, though" he says. "B plus, baby" he shares.

"Woke up feeling like a hundred bricks fell on me" I say. It's almost night, so I guess that is a valid excuse.

"Sucks" Barnard clears his throat even more.

"Sorry" we both say together this time.

"Listen, we just have one simple question: why didn't they let us know where they were spending the full moon this weekend? We called all through last week, and he did not pick up his phone" Lie, lie, lie! I tell Mamma in my head.

"I don't know. He called me two weeks ago letting me know that he was in Colombia. My daughter spent the full moon in our house eating raw meat" she said. Well, I guess half the lie is enough to pass as truth, or was it the other way around?

"We do not like it when he does not inform us. He knows this," he said.

"And it is the third time in five months" another guy piped in. He had large arms and a very hairy face. Ugly if you ask me. I notice there is only one girl with the four burly and hairy men. None looks older than thirty except the one talking.

"Well, I know nothing of it." she says, crossing her arms across her chest. Eight eyes settle on her rack. I roll my eyes behind my eyelids. Guys. The word sex fills my head too.

"What time does your daughter get home?" one of them asks. It's four. Not before six.

"Not before six" Mamma replies.

"Fine, at least make sure to contact us for the next full moon" he asks.

"Actually, we are moving out in two weeks. We won't be any trouble anymore" she says.

"Whose territory are you gonna invade this time?" the girl asks, she seems to be the most bored about coming here, but she seems like the second nicest one too.

"We are going to Mexico, actually" she said.

"Great. If we ever see a lion around again, we won't be so nice about it" the older guy clarifies, I guess he must be the pack leader or something. We both nod. I go to open the door for them.

"See ya" Stellan says as he leaves. I wink back at him.

"Definitely" I say. They finish leaving. Barnard shoves him to keep moving.

"She's not into you, kid" he says as soon as he thinks I am out of earshot, simply because I am not two natured. I did not hear any response. I lock the door.

"Okay, just don't rush" I look at Mamma talking to Delia over the phone. I looked out the window, the sky was tinted magenta and orange as the sun finished to hide. She observed it for a few choice seconds.

"Ready for your date tomorrow?" Pam startles me. I was about to reply wittily to her when I remembered Lyn's messages waiting for me upstairs.

"Oh, shit!" I say and run up the stairs.

"I'll take that as a no…" Pam assumes.

"Bill, I still need my computer!" I yell around the house to wherever he is. I can hear both him and Pam flinch at my scream in their heads. I settle on my bed with Lyn's messages. Oh, yeah. I smile foolishly. I relax my face before reading the first message.

**J****udy, I think that re makes are terrible, I much prefer original movies. But I go for chick flicks all the way, not many action movies. Yes, I have a weakness for Dean Salazar, too. That guy is total eye-candy!**

**Sarah is a lot like Piper, I guess, jealous without knowing how things really are.**

**You really think that I'm okay without doing any sport? I mean, I have tried, but nothing really makes me interested enough. When I was a kid, I tried karate, horsebackriding, dance lessons in ballet, belly dancing and tap. Nothing. I don't have the discipline for it either. I get bored too quickly.**

**But I don't have anything against swimming. ;) I think if I tried it I would probably like it.**

**Oh, I think the south would be awesome. Like a perpetual summer? Beautiful. Do you remember much about it?**

**Well, I got asked to prom period today. Franz Planchet, do you know who that is? He's a senior. I think he only considered it since I just broke up.**

**Later, Lyn**

I gush. Ugh, nasty Franz Planchet, I don't think I know who he is, but I dislike him either way. I hate jealousy. And I cannot wait until tomorrow night. I opened the next one

**Judy, hello? I wrote you hours ago. I looked for you all through lunch. See you later, Lyn**

**Judy, hey, I talked to Delia, she was puzzled that I was asking for you. She then evaded my question saying that you woke up with your period and were feeling sick. Lyn**

**Judy, Dave says you woke up sick? Is that code for guys with girl problems or did he get something wrong? It just doesn't make sense Lyn**

**Judy, hello? Are you okay? I'm starting to worry here, Call me or text me, please. Lyn**

I decide it best to call her. I plug in and dial her number.

"Hello?" she says. Exhale softly but meaningfully, upon hearing her.

"Lyn?" I ask.

"Yeah,"

"Hi, it's Judy" I say.

"How are you? Are you feeling better?" she asks me.

"Yeah, I only feel sick the first few hours. Hate when it happens on a school day" I share.

"You should get on the pill, it helped me regulate my cramps and other PMS" she offers.

"Um, my Mamma says I'm still too young for that. Maybe when I am eighteen" I sigh.

"I guess" she says. I wish I knew what she was thinking just then, but I am too tired to focus on the small voice inside her head. _Since… fifteen,_ is the only thing I get. Whoa.

"Ready for tomorrow?" I try to lighten up the conversation.

"Definitely," she says. "I wish there were more books" she says.

"Yeah, but I guess you don't always write as fast as Hollywood wishes they could" I think out loud.

"Delia coming?" she asks. Fuck, I have to tell her this.

"Um, no… She has a test Monday and has to cram… thing is, Mamma does not like the idea of me going alone. A friend of hers and mine is coming. But, on the plus side, she's offering to buy my dress" I smile, hoping the excitement in my voice sounds real.

"Oh, that sounds excellent" she says too. I can imagine her sweet smile.

"Then we can really buy dresses together," I say.

"Yeah, bugger the budget, too" she says.

"Well, Pam was so excited about dresses I think she's gonna throw caution to the wind and spend just as much as she can." I laugh.

"How old is this Pam?" she asks.

"Um, nearly four hundred, I think" I say. "My mom and she go a long way back." I say.

"Oh, a vampire," she says. She does not sound at all psyched about it.

"Yeah, I kinda tried everything to convince her not to come, but it all backfired" I reply.

"Grandpa always gets to do what he wants. Even if everybody else says no," she tells me. She does sound a bit pouty when she says that.

"Sometimes that happens" I say. I look at my arm, I remember the incident from last night. I don't think my libido increased. I don't think I drank all that much blood, either. Anyways.

"Judy?" I realize I did not listen to the last time she said

"I'm sorry, I'm still kinda tired and cramping" I say. "I tend to space out when I get my period" I lie.

"Oh, I asked what time tomorrow" she repeats.

"Six?" I ask.

"Perfect, see you then" she agrees

"Yeah, I can't wait" I reply honestly.

"Bye, then" she says.

"I'll reply your message after dinner, if I manage to eat anything" I joke. She laughs. "Bye" I say one last time before hanging up.

I look over my computer. I take off the headset and lie back on my bed. Maybe I was not even sick to begin with, but I do feel quite tired right now. I long yawn escapes me. I stretch a little on my bed. Maybe just a small nap…

"Judy?" My eyes pop open.

"Come in" I say as I uncoil from the bed.

"Sorry, I thought you finished your phone call and I was unsure whether you were ready to allow me to borrow your computer" Uncle Bill asks, ever too proper. I nod.

"Sure," I say, pointing towards it, still too tired to go get it. I stretch again.

"I should go make dinner" I say to my pillow.

"I believe you're mother is making food for you three, Delia is downstairs, Sookie told us about the encounter with the Bears this afternoon" I snort.

"Yeah, dumb thing" I say.

"The good thing is that they do not know about your father's passing" he contributes. I guess that is a good thing.

"Apparently a friend of mine is a bear," I say.

"A friend?" Bill asks.

"Well, I thought his name was Steve it my mind, but it is Stellan, but he gets a long great with me and Bastian and Dave." I say. He nods and starts typing on the computer. He is only half listening. My guess, vampire men are just as useless as regular men at multitasking, so I lean back on my bed again, hoping to be able to get some rest before dinner is ready.

I feel a hand sneak into my hair. I throw an arm at it and jump out of my bed.

"So you were not asleep" Pam says to me with a grin. I rub my eye.

"I was, damn you, what time is it?" I ask.

"Around eight, dinner's ready" she says to me.

"Good, I'm famished." I say with a hand going to my empty stomach. I go down the stairs, I guess Bill is still at the computer, he just went downstairs. He seems to be unable to spend too much time away from Mamma since he arrived.

"I'm famished, too" she says. I arch an eyebrow at her as she follows besides me.

"That was unnecessary, Pam" I say to her.

"On the contrary, your opinion on that comment says a lot" she replies sneakily.

"I am hungry, not horny" I clarify. She laughs.

"Dinner's ready!" Mamma calls as I open the door to the kitchen. There are some bottles of Sangre Roja, a cheaper type of synthetic blood produced in Latin America, on the table. Pam smiles crookedly at me and then takes some bottled blood. She starts sipping on it.

"Ugh, Sookie!" she says. Mamma turns to her after settling steak on the table. The veggies and salad are already there. "I understand buying cheap, but this blood is disgusting. Tastes like dirty pennies" she coughs it up. The sight is interesting. Blood coming out because she decided against swallowing, it still drips from the commissures of her mouth. Her tongue and fangs are sticking out. "And too much adipose tissue in it too. Who the hell makes this?" she gags.

"Not vampires?" I laugh. This was too much. Mamma looks at her, first mad at her reaction, then disgusted by her face. I toss a cloth for her to clean herself up. "You look like you just drained a cow" I snort. She looks at me unentertained by my comment.

"She laughs at danger" Pam finally speaks after licking the cloth to clean the blood from her tongue as well.

"Still have some here," I point to the blood that spilled on her shirt just above her breast.

"Great, this was my favorite caramel beige top" she said. She knows her colors all right.

"I thought that was burnt coral" I reply. She starts laughing and walks away. She takes the last TrueBlood from the table as the leaves.

"Steak, my favorite" Delia says as she seats as Pam leaves the kitchen. I suppress my laughter and sit down to eat too. I fill my plate with cabbage salad and steamed zuchinni.

We eat just the three of us. Pam is probably washing off and Bill must be at the computer.

I eat quickly and wash my plate.

"What's the hurry?" Mamma asks.

"I have to call like four different persons to see what happened today in all my classes. And I have to call Piper, which I really do not want to do" I say.

"How so?" Mamma asks.

"She is being a bitch because I turned down Bastian to the ball and he asked Erika afterwards. I mean, he did not even ask her! Unless she knew she was third choice" I say, Which I know she was not.

"Was she?" Delia asks after swallowing a big piece of meat.

"No, she was not even on the possible five," I say, not bothering to laugh too much.

"She's not all that pretty." Delia observes. I ignore the comment and accept Delia's plate as she helps Mamma clean up the table.

"Go, I'll do mine" Mamma asks. "And you should not snoop" she scorns me.

"I was having a bad day because they were being so bitchy, I think that is reason for wanting to know what everybody's problem that day seemed to be, especially Piper" I say. I wish I could call Dave to ask her for me, or something. I wish I had not chosen Spanish right now.

"Thanks" I say to Mamma and make my way upstairs. My computer is still gone. I shrug and go back downstairs. I use the house phone to dial Dave, and I use the digital pad to write down notes for all the classes I have with him. That gives me Technology and Calculus . I call Bastian to ask about Lit and honors Chem. Then I sigh deeply. Piper, well, between not knowing… I hate that I had to choose a Friday to skip. Ugh. And before finals.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Piper?"

"Yes, who is this?"

"It's Judith" I say. _God, what now?_

"What?" she asks,

"Um, I don't know if you heard, but I woke up feeling sick and skipped classes" I mumble into the phone,

"Bad day to chose to skip" she bites into the phone.

"Look, I did not choose to wake up sick"

"Big effing deal" I hate that, I mean, either cuss or don´t.

"Look, I just wanted to know if you could catch me up with the Spanish assignment" I ask. I regret calling her, I wish I had another friend in Spanish. But, I usually just lay low at the back of that class. I can hear her huff. _So, I could make something long up or say I don't remember… _

"I know there were some practice worksheets, but I don't remember if it was pages sixty eight to seventy five or sixty five to seventy five" she lies. But she thinks the truth… _Sixty five to sixty eight, reaching up to seventy if we want too. _

"Okay, anything else?" I ask. _Yeah, she'll be asking questions one question from each short story we went through._

"No, that's it" she says.

"Thanks, Piper" I force out.

"Bye" she says and hangs up.

"Bitch" I say loudly. I mean, I can't do anything about that, and if was not even her that he asked afterwards!. Ugh, girls.

"Whose a bitch?" Pam asks. She is clean again, this time wearing a green almost white top.

"Nice shirt" I say to her,

"Light Aquamarine" she names it. I shrug. "You now, burnt coral does exist. But it is a powder name, not a shirt color name"

"I was making stuff up" I replied.

"I know, I just wanted to let you know" she replies with a smirk.

"I'm gonna go to this homework" I say to her. "Bill, I need my computer" I ask.

"Can you give me twenty more minutes?" he asks. I turn to see him tapping away at the screen.

"Yeah" I say. Pam looks at me entertained. I roll my eyes behind my eyelids.

"So, book or movie?" she asks me.

"Book, by far, Movies leave little for the imagination" I say. She smiles, her fangs are retracted. She looks prettier with her fangs out, helps her pale complexion. Or is it make up, I mean, now that I think of it.

"Do you wear make up?" I ask.

"Only when I have to entertain" she laughs.

"Oh."

"And you?"

"Only when I have to dress formally" I reply. She smiles at that too.

"Otherwise, never" she says.

"Hey! I'm gonna get make up for prom" I reply.

"Good" she says. "More stuff to buy tomorrow" she giggles.

"Hey, I actually own make up, thank you very much" she says.

"But prom is the perfect excuse to buy stuff" she replies.

"I don't see the point in doing it for such an ephemeral celebration!!" I exclaim.

"Well, I guess" she replies. "But, since I am going too, and I have only gone to so many proms, I think that I am allowed to spend my centuries old savings for this one thing. So let me" she argues.

"Fine, but I still want a black dress" I ask.

"Such a boring color" she replies. "Not even a real color, you know"

"Yeah, I take art" I reply.

"Hmm, are you any good?" she asks. I shrug.

"You'd have to see a piece to judge for yourself" I say.

"Show me" she asks. I go upstairs to take out my artwork from under my bed.

I reveal three works I have done during this school year, I place them on the bed. I don't even know if she has an appreciation for art. As she studies them, I see a few glitches I could improve in each of the three.

The all involve some sort of landscape with a person or two.

The first one is a clearing in the forest where the moonlight is filtering through branches, with a woman staring out into the night, as if looking for someone. Her shadow is behind her, projected on the bottom left corner where she is situated. It is in between snowy and with bits of grass emerging, early spring I suppose. Intricate branches, so you can't tell if there are three or twenty trees around. It should all be snow if it is nighttime.

The second one I remember being inspired by a photograph I took of Delia as she saw the moonlight fade, a feeling of desire and need torn between her. It was the full moon, but she was only seven. I dug up the photo from a long time ago. I used that, imagined better colors for the sun starting to peek as the moon went back on the contrary side. An insinuated lioness in the fading stars, she loved it. Maybe the sky was too orange, it should be more purple.

The third one is my favorite, the first one of the term. It shows sunlight in the middle of a sparse forest, two girls leaning against each other in a clearing, I am not sure if they are watching the sun, the trees or simply talking. But it is Kristy and me. There is nothing in the portrait to indicate that the two girls are best friends or girlfriends, mainly because you see their backs and not the faces. I remember crying a few times as I worked on it. Bastian asked about it a few times, too. This one needs to changes, though.

"You have a magnificent perspective, and the work is so intricate but passionate" Pam says, slowly grazing her cold fingers at the works. Two are oil on canvas, the one of Delia is made with chalk pastels. "Judith, you definitely have a vision when doing these"

"Thanks" I say, I guess it is true. I pour my soul on these works. I am just very picky about who I let see them, and even less an unfinished work. I can't wait to show Mamma the one with Sophie Anne and her. I hope she likes it. I have put a lot of thought into it.

"That is clearly your sister" she points to the middle one. I nod. "And that could be anyone… but those two? Who are those?" she asks. See, this is the part I omitted telling Mamma, Dad and Delia when I showed them the finished work. I did, however, take a photo of it and send it to Kristy in Ohio. She loved it.

"Just me and a friend" I reply,

"Those look like lovers" she says coyly.

"That is not what I meant to draw" I immediately answer, not wanting for her to know.

"I think that is exactly what you meant to draw" I gulp. "See, your heart is already accelerating, why lie when I can tell you're lying?" she says.

"Whatever, it could be" I say, forcing myself to relax. She comes closer to me, invading my personal area as I sit besides the finished works. "What?" I say to her close face. I like her eye color, it's a very light blue.

"You have not answered my question, Judith" she whispers in my ear, a chill goes up my spine.

"I don't have to tell you" I reply. She leans away again. I roll my eyes.

"Judith, why won't you tell me?" she asks. She looks simply curious, too curious.

"Because it is something very important to me that nobody ever needs to know about." Oh, dear, did I just say that out loud? I covered my mouth with my cupped hand.

"Is that so?" she asks sneakily.

"Did you glamour me into telling you that?!" I exclaim, mad.

"No, I have not even tried to glamour you, it could be a good idea, though…." She says. She looks at me intensely. I look away into the portrait of Delia. I carefully put them inside their protective bags and then make to stand up to place it under the bed

Pam stops me by grabbing my wrist.

"Let go, I need to start studying." I say.

"Judith" she says clearly, slowly and (dare I say it?) erotically. "Look at me" she asks. I look. Her eyes are sparkling dangerously, and I can feel her trying to invade my head.

"You are too damn curious for your own good…" I say and look away. I feel dizzy. "And don't try to glamour me again, it makes me dizzy" I reply. She laughs.

"Will you tell me then? Or are you going to puke first?" she enquires. I raise an eyebrow at her.

"Fine, but you cannot tell a soul." She nods quickly. "This is me, and that is Kristy" I say. "There, satisfied?" I say to her and yank my wrist away from her.

"And who is Kristy?" she asks. There is a knock on the door.

"Come in, Bill" I say, blinking deeply.

"I am sorry, I did not know you were not alone." He says.

"Pam was just leaving." I smile and accept my computer.

"Something of the sort" she says and does not move from my bed. I settle in my desk. I reconfigure the tablet as I have to sit to type a lot and enter my username.

"Good night, Judith" Uncle Bill says.

"Likewise" I reply not looking up from my computer. I turn to ask Pam to leave, Bill is leaving too.

"Good night, Pam" I say. She grins at me and leaves. I sigh and start with the Spanish homework.

"I'll just stay here reading, do you know your bed is the most comfortable place in this house?" she says. She flashed in again and settled on my bed. She is holding To Lose Control in her hand.

I decide to ignore her and start typing away, looking conjugations a few times and cross referencing various things. Soon I am done with Spanish, I then tackle the Technology homework, it is an essay on the pros and cons of Disposable Microchips. I can think of many cons, but not many pros.

"So, who is Kristy?" she silence is interrupted.

"Where are Alice and Franz?" I reply.

"They are reaching the highway, just got away from a crazy dog." She says.

"A friend, from when we lived in Ohio" I say, unwilling to say anything else.

"Huh" she says and then goes back to the book.

I finish the essay after a long time working. I decide to do the chemistry lab report before checking the time, otherwise I'd lose my rhythm.

"Hell, no!" I look over my shoulder at Pam.

"Que?" I ask.

"Klaus is a stupid man. Kinda reminds me of Bill not wanting to let go of Sookie." There are only three scenes with Klaus in the book, so I am guessing it must be the second one, where he picks up a bar fight with his own pals for not letting him mope around. "I thought the two of them were okay after the break up" she says to me.

"Um, it was always clear that it was a messy break up, but I don't think that… well, he is the one that can't let go."

"You know what I love about this author?" she asks.

"No," I say.

"She does a great job at depicting human flaws. Alice's insecurity, Klaus's stubbornness, even Chris as a drunk that won't admit it." she says.

"Huh, I had not thought of Chris as a drunk person, but I guess so." I say.

"He also trusts Alice too much, he thinks she is completely honest with him." She says.

"I would think Damien's ignorant bliss of seeing her as an innocent younger sister is stupid. Moreoverly in To See You Again. Bottomline is she lets people see the side of her that they wish to see. Hugh is the best example." I start to say. I had not really thought of the book in a long time. But she is right, the depth of even her secondary characters is genuine. Lies, deception and friendships that make us all. "I want to finish this lab report tonight" I say. She goes back go reading.

After a few more hours, I finish. I check the time: two fifty-three. Pam is still on the bed reading.

"Done!" I exclaim.

"Good. What the hell is Alice thinking?" she says.

"Where are you?" I ask.

"They just hitched a ride, but the guy recognized her, no point giving the man a fake name." she says. I nod.

"Yeah, well, she is trying to think well under stress. I think she has a survival instinct, wait till you go back to her" I say. I remember clearly that she punches him in the nose and takes the car. "I need to sleep"

"Yes, I need to drink something too" she says and leaves, with her sight still on the book she walks downstairs. I roll my eyes and throw myself on the bed. I remove my skirt and bra, then quickly fall asleep.

* * *

Thank you for reading, I shall update sometime this week.ç

AN: Yes, i talk about these two books a lot: To See You Again and To Lose Control. One is a wip and one is a finished story that i made. you can find it at my fictionpress account, .com/~inspiredisia, if those references bother you.

Oh, and Stellan was simply because it sounded like Steve, nothing to do with Stellan Skäarsgard.

I would love to see some reviews...


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